ANGARA LAUDS PARA-ATHLETES; SAYS CASH INCENTIVES AWAIT WINNERS IN ASIAN PARA GAMES

Senator Sonny Angara commended Filipino athletes who won medals in the recently concluded 2018 Asia Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia, saying they, too, deserve cash awards under the law for bringing pride and honor to the country.

"We would like to congratulate and commend our athletes with disabilities as well as their coaches and trainers for their outstanding performance. The cash rewards they will receive are well deserved under the expanded athletes incentive law," Angara said.

Under Republic Act 10699, which Angara authored, Filipino athletes, including the differently-abled, and their coaches are entitled to cash incentives as a way of recognizing their achievements.

The Philippines ranked 11th in the medal standing of the Asian Para Games, hauling 10 gold, eight and 11 bronze medals at the end of the meet last Friday.

The expanded law provides winners in the Asian Para Games with the following cash awards: gold medal, P1 million; silver medal, P500,000; and bronze medal, P200,000.

Prior to the enactment of RA 10699, winning differently-abled athletes were granted only token incentives because they were not covered by the old National Athletes Incentives Law or RA 9064.

Below is the list of Filipino athletes who won in the 2018 Asian Para Games:

Gold: Ernie Gawilan (swimming); Kim Ian Chi (bowling); Sander Severino, Redor Menandro, Arman Subaste, Israel Peligro, Jasper Rom and Roger Henry Lopez (chess); and Arthus Bucay (cycling).

Silver: Achelle Guion (powerlifting); Gawilan (swimming); Josephine Medina (table tennis); Chi and Samuel Matias (bowling); Menandro (chess); Lopez (chess); and Gary Bejino (swimming).

Bronze: Bejino (swimming); Bucay (cycling); Godfrey Taberna (cycling); Subaste (chess); Francis Ching, Rodolfo Sarmiento and Cecilio Bilog (chess); and Subaste, Menandro and Peligro (chess).

Gawilan won three golds medals for three different events in swimming, while Severino snatched four golds in individual and team events in chess.

"What our para-athletes achieved is no easy task. Their triumph only proves that dedication and hard work know no boundaries so it is only fitting they the entire country recognize and reward them," said Angara, a champion of sports development in the country.