JAKARTA -- Gold winners in the ongoing 18th Asian Games will get an additional PHP1 million, bringing their total cash incentive to PHP6 million each.
The PHP1 million will come from Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Lee Hoong Wee.
"I believe in the new Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) leadership. I commit my personal support to Philippine sports," Lee said when he met with POC officials, led by president Ricky Vargas, on Monday night.
Businessman-sportsman Dennis Uy, through his Siklab Pilipinas Sports Foundation, has pledged PHP1 million, while the POC added PHP2 million.
The government has committed PHP2 million under Republic Act No. 10699, which expands the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.
The government will give a bonus of PHP500,000 for a silver medalist and PHP300,000 for a bronze winner.
Silvers medalists will each get PHP500,000 from the Siklab Foundation, PHP1 million from the government and PHP500,000 from the POC.
The bronze winners will receive PHP250,000 from the foundation aside from the PHP400,000 from the government and PHP300,000 from the POC.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said with the tremendous support given to elite athletes, the sports agency can now focus on its grassroots sports development.
“I am expecting the hard work on grassroots to greatly affect us. We will continue to do this. Because by strengthening the grassroots, we will strengthen the elite athletes,” Ramirez said in a statement issued on Tuesday. (PNA)
