Press Release August 9, 2016
Even without implementing rules Aside from the P5 million cash reward, other benefits like free state college education and a generous retirement package await Olympic silver medalist Hidilyn Diaz. Diaz's coach will also go home P2.5 million richer as the new law hiking the incentives for victorious Filipino sportsmen cover coaches as well, said Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto, co-author of Republic Act 10699. Recto said athletes and coaches who win in international competitions are qualified to receive scholarship benefits in the form of full "tuition fees from state colleges or universities for a college or university degree." And when they retire, they will receive a lump-sum equivalent to 25% of their total cash incentives computed from the start of their active sports career as a member of the national training pool or national coaches training pool. Recto said incentives authorized by "The National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act of 2015" for national athletes and coaches, whether they win medals in international competitions or not, include:
Signed by President Aquino on November 13, 2015, RA 10699 mandates that athletes like Diaz who bag silver medals in Summer Olympic and Winter Olympic Games are given a tax-free cash reward of P5 million each. Olympic gold medalists are given P10 million, while bronze medalists get P2 million. Recto said coaches of national athletes will also receive cash incentives if they have personally trained and rendered service to the athletes or teams who win in international competitions at least six months prior to the international competition. The incentives for the coaches shall be equivalent to half of the cash incentives for gold, silver and bronze medalists. In case of more than one coach, the cash incentives shall be divided among themselves. While RA 10699 requires the PSC and 10 other bodies to draft and issue the law's Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) within 60 days after its enactment, "the absence of such IRR does not prevent the grant of incentives to winning athletes," Recto said. He said Congress had anticipated delays in the promulgation of the IRR so that it included a provision that "the failure of the PSC to promulgate the rules and regulations shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon its effectivity." "Diaz and her coach need not wait for the PSC to draft the implementing rules. They must be given the cash incentives immediately upon arriving home," said Recto. But due to the "cross sectoral" nature of award, it would still be advisable for the agencies to convene and draft the IRR, Recto said. Within 60 days of its enactment, the law mandates the PSC to promulgate and issue the IRR in consultation with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), the National Paralympic Committee of the Philippines (NPC Phil), DOH, DepEd, CHED, TESDA, DOF, BIR, PAGCOR, PhilHealth and other agencies concerned. RA 10699 is principally authored by Sen. Vicente Sotto III, with co-authors that include Recto and Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Ramon Revilla, Jr., Pia Cayetano, Juan Edgardo Angara and Cynthia Villar. |
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