Amendments up for sports incentives act

THE PROPOSED ordinance of increasing cash incentives given to Baguio City- based athletes and coaches will have to undergo final revisions before it passes its third and final reading in the City Council.

After being deferred, the proposed law is currently undergoing final revisions before being presented for its final interpretation.

Committee on Youth Welfare and Sports Development chairperson and councilor Michael Lee

Lawana said the amendments are being made after the council questioned the issue on open budget and address prescribed rates and the guidelines in the granting of such incentives.

The council directed the concerned committee to already fix the rates that will be granted as cash benefits to Baguio- based athletes so the budget for such purpose will be incorporated in the annual budget of the city as open budgeting is not allowed.

“We are still refining the proposal, our fellow aldermen questioned the suggested open budget for this cash grants that is why we have to give specific amounts of allocations before it passes its final reading,” Lawana told Sun.Star Baguio.

Lawana said the amendments are currently being made by committee member councilor Peter Fianza, who said the inclusion of fix budget will be presented and reviewed in the soonest possible time.

Presently the city is still adopting the 23year- old law which gives top international athletes P10,000 for gold, P5,000 for silver, and P3,000 for bronze medals. The coaches, on the other hand, get P5,000, P3,000, and P2,000, respectively.

In the proposed amendment, international sports medallist will already be given P30,000 for gold, P20,000 for silver, and P10,000 for bronze as the coach will obtain P15,000, P10,000, and P5,000 respectively.

For team events with 11- 15 members, winners get P100,000, P60,000, P40,000 for gold-silver-bronze respectively while coaches will receive P30,000, P25,000, and P20,000.

Teams with 6- 10 members will be given P60,000, P40,000, P25,000, while coaches gets P25,000, P20,000, and P15,000 respectively.

Team events with five players and below are allowed to have PP30,000, P20,000, and P15,000 with P20,000, P15,00, and P10,000 for the coaches.

For the national competitions, athletes are rewarded with P10,000, P5,000, and P3,000 as the coaches, get P5,000, P3,000, and P2,000, respectively.

Team events with 11- 15 members gets P60,000, P45,000, P30,000 for athletes while P10,000, P15,000, and P10, 000 for coaches. For 6- 10 members, a cash incentive of P40,000, P30,000, P20,000 for athletes while coaches get P15,000, P10,000, P7,000.

For a team member of five and below, P20,000, P15,000, and P10,000 while coaches will also get P10,000, P7,000, and P5,000.

Regional sports competition incentives on the other hand will be based on the adopted Resolution of the Local School Board or the City Sports Promotion and Development Council (CSPDC).

Other professional events such as boxing, MMA, ultraMarathon, and bodybuilding, etc. will also be included in the incentive act.

Lawana on the other hand still stressed there should be no limit in appropriating the incentives for athletes.

“Perhaps we should not allocate certain annual budget for this. Parang sinabi na rin natin na kung P1 million lang ang ilalagay natin sa annual budget for this hanggang doon na lang ang kaya ng mga atleta natin,” Lawana explained. Mark Victor Pasagoy