POC gives cash incentives to SEA Games gold medalists

After the gold medal haul for the Philippines in the recently-concluded Southeast Asian Games comes the well-deserved financial reward for the country's athletes.

The country collected a total of 149 gold medals en route to the overall crown and for the first time, the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) awarded cash incentives to the winning athletes of the biennial meet.

According to Saleema Refran's Tuesday report on "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho," individual athletes were given P200,000 for each gold medal won, while each member of a double or pair event received P100,000.

Athletes in team sports were awarded a maximum of P75,000.

"First time ang POC na magbigay ng incentives sa SEA Games gold medalists kasi mayroon tayong nalikom na pambigay galing sa private companies," POC president Abraham Tolentino said.

Filipina skateboarder Margielyn Didal and wushu champion Agatha Wong each bagged P400,000 after they delivered two gold medals each for the country.

However, for Wong, her success was not a walk in the park.

"This success in sports, it's not easy. You have to go through heartbreak, failures, injuries, setbacks. Ang dami mong pagdadaanan bago ka makarating dito," she said.

Meanwhile, Didal expressed excitement over receiving her cash prize.

"Excited kasi pang-Noche Buena. Pang-save din and sa family and pandagdag sa training," she said.

On the other hand, World Women's Boxing champion Nesthy Petecio, who received P200,000 for her gold medal in the women's 57kg featherweight division, will use her incentive for the house she is building in Davao del Sur.

Olympian Hidilyn Diaz also took home P200,000 for her gold medal in the women's 55kg event.

Meanwhile, SEA Games most bemedalled athlete and gymnastics golden boy Carlos Yulo, was not present in the awarding because he is currently in Japan, training for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Yulo hauled a total of two gold and five silver medals in the regional meet.

Aside from the cash prize given by the POC, gold medalists will also receive a separate incentive from the Philippine Sports Commission.

According to Republic Act 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, which was enacted into law in 2015, in individual events in the SEA Games, gold medalists are entitled to receive P300,000, while silver and bronze medalists will get P150,000 and P60,000, respectively.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier announced he would add P250,000 more for gold medalists, P150,000 for silver medalists and P100,000 for bronze finishers. —Ma. Angelica Garcia/LDF, GMA News