Establishments refusing to honor athletes benefits law –Agatha Wong

Wushu champion and two-time Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medalist Agatha Wong took to social media on Saturday evening to push for the strict implementation of Republic Act (R.A) 10699 or the "National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act."

"Can we make R.A. 10699 on the national athlete’s discount benefits an imposed & required law to abide by?" she asked in a post on Twitter.

According to the Filipino-Chinese athlete, she had been trying to claim the benefits at several establishments, but to no avail.

"Gets quite annoying to keep having to explain to managers that this kind of benefit actually exists & some are even doubtful," Wong added.

The Sports Benefits and Incentives Act entitles any national athlete and coach to a "twenty percent discount from all establishments related to transportation, hotels and other lodging, restaurants, recreation centers and the purchase of medicine and sports equipment anywhere in the country."

Apart from that, the R.A. mandates that national athletes and coaches are entitled to a twenty percent discount on admission fees charged by "theaters, cinema houses and concert halls, circuses, carnivals, and other similar places of culture, leisure and amusement."

Several netizens and athletes supported Wong's statement on Twitter, while women's water polo team coach Aldo Tong revealed that she too was unable to avail of the mandated benefits.

Meanwhile, other netizens advised Wong to bring a copy of the law or show the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) to doubting establishments. — Angelica Y. Yang/DVM, GMA News