Incentives await Pinoy medalists
Rally behind our SEA Games athletes, Palace appeals
Filipino athletes who will win medals in this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games will receive incentives and medals from President Duterte in a bid to boost their morale, Malacañang announced Thursday.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo announced the package of incentives for the athletes after appealing for an end to the “raucous bashing” of the games as well as support for the athletes.
“To end on a high note, the Palace wishes to announce that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will give incentives and even medals in the Order of Lapu-Lapu to the
winning athletes,” Panelo said in a statement.
The Order of Lapu-Lapu is given to persons in government or private sector who gave extraordinary service or exceptional contributions to the success of the President’s campaign or advocacy.
Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the incentives from President Duterte are in addition to those provided for by law.
“To all the athletes participating in the games, we wish them the best of luck as they display their wares and talents in the competition,” he added.
Go said he suggested to the President that he should give awards and incentives to the Filipino athletes to boost their morale and to win despite controversies surrounding the preparations for the SEA Games.
Go, a former Special Assistant to the President, said Duterte would make good on his plan because he has done it recently.
He recalled the President giving separate incentives to five athletes, including Hidilyn Diaz, a weightlifter (bronze medalist), and Carlos Yulo, a gold medalist in gymnastics.
In a meet-and-greet with the President in Malacañang on October 16, recent gold medalists Yulo, Ernest Obiena (pole vault), and Nesthy Petecio (boxing) each received million, while silver medalist Eumir Marcial (boxing) and Diaz each received 1500,000.
Go said the rewards were given in addition to what the five athletes received under Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.
He said the President has not mentioned the amount to be given to SEA Games medalists.
Go also expressed his hopes for the Philippine Team to have an excellent performance.
Despite the organizational lapses that marred the sports competition, the Palace has sought an end to “raucous bashing” of the games. The public has been asked to rally behind the athletes and show hospitality to the foreign visitors.
“Let the games continue without the attendant raucous bashing. Our local athletes deserve our support,” Panelo said.
“Let us welcome our foreign guests with the kind of warm hospitality we are known for,” he added.
Panelo also asked the public “to be more circumspect in reading articles that may contain false information or fake news.” “Let us not believe them outright. Many of them turn out to be untrue,” he said.
The Palace likewise appealed to the media to avoid reporting false information.
“We call on media outfits to be more prudent in their reporting and avoid publishing information without verification, as allegations are remembered, not their clarifications or justifications,” he said.
The preparations for this year’s SEA Games, led by a private foundation Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc), have been marred with logistical glitches that inconvenienced some athletes. Dismayed with the lapses, President Duterte has authorized an investigation on allegations of irregularities as soon as the tournament is over.
Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) held an emergency meeting this week with representatives of various hotels in Metro Manila to ensure that quality accommodation is being given to the athletes participating in the
30th SEA Games.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette RomuloPuyat gave a directive to “ensure that the Filipino brand of hospitality is exercised to the maximum capacity of hotels’ resources and capabilities.”
“It is in situations like this that we are faced with the challenge of making our visitors’ stay in the country one of fun and fulfilling experience.
Anyway, that is what this friendly competition is about. Let us win as one. To do this, let us rise to the occasion and put our best foot forward,”
she added.
The DOT said that it will be assigning a focal person in each of the four sporting event clusters and upgrading its existing information desks at the lobbies of the participating hotels. (With a report from Analou de Vera)