Mid-year bonuses for Vietnam SEAG medalists

Medal-winning athletes in the last Southeast Asian Games got additional incentives totaling P11.150 million from the Philippine Olympic Committee, through benefactors led by the MVP Sports Foundation.

POC president and Tagaytay Mayor Bambol Tolentino said the mid-year cash bonuses were distributed through the Landbank accounts of the 417 athletes who came home from Vietnam as champions, runners-up and third placers.

“The medalists in Hanoi are in for a surprise,” Tolentino said yesterday. “Most of these medalists may not know it yet, but once they check their Landbank accounts, they’ll find out about the bonuses from the POC.”

Team Philippines collected 52 gold, 70 silver and 105 bronze medals for a strong fourth-place finish behind host Vietnam (205-125-116), Thailand (92-103-136) and Indonesia (69-91-81).

The POC windfall package amounted to P5.78 million for the 89 first placers, P3.35 million for the 126 second placers and P2.02 million for the 202 No. 3 finishers.

Future achievers stand to regularly receive rewards from the private sector. Long-time sports supporters, PLDT Inc., its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), and the MVPSF announced their support to the POC’s move to establish an incentive trust fund for winning athletes in the Olympics, Asian Games, and

SEA Games.

“PLDT, Smart, and MVPSF are one with the Committee in ensuring that our national team members have the assistance that they need to perform their duties well and worry-free,” said Alfredo Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT and Smart, and president and trustee of MVPSF.

“As long-time supporters of Filipino athletes, we are eager to see this development inspire and motivate our players whenever they compete on the world stage,” added Panlilio, also the first vice president of the POC.

Sports initiatives of PLDT, Smart, and other companies chaired by business leader Manuel V. Pangilinan are centralized under MVPSF.