Miriam wants Medal of Valor, P2M for Pinoy Olympic gold medalists

Filipino athletes who manage to win gold medals at the Olympics will be awarded a Medal of Valor and P2 million by the Philippine government, if Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's bill is passed into law. "It is a small token but it is a symbol of the appreciation of the country for the honor and prestige that will go with the achievement," Santiago said in her explanatory note regarding Senate Bill 3248, or the Olympic Gold Medal of Valor Act of 2012. According to SB 3248, the Medal of Valor shall be awarded by the Philippine Sports Commission. But this and the cash award shall be in addition to the benefits provided by Republic Act No. 9064 or the Sports Incentives and Benefits Act of2001, it added. Poor performance? Earlier, Sen. Antonio Trillanes filed a resolution seeking a Senate inquiry into the state of sports development in the country amid the poor performance of the Philippines at the recently concluded 2012 London Olympics. Trillanes said in his resolution that the country has been sending representatives to the Olympics since it joined in 1924. But it has only managed to win a total of nine medals: seven bronzes, two silvers, and no gold. At last year's South Asian Games in Jakarta, the country finished in sixth place after garnering 36 gold medals, 56 silver medals, 77 bronze medals. In 2005, the Philippines was the overall champion. Santiago also said that the Philippines placed second in the 1954 and 1958 Asian Games but that it only came in at 19th in 2010.— BM, GMA News