INQUIRER Sports

SENATOR Pia Cayetano has filed a bill rewarding the differently abled athletes with the same incentives given to the regular members of the national delegation.

“Our differently abled athletes should also enjoy the same benefits that our regular national athletes are enjoying,” Cayetano said in a recent TV interview before the departure of the RP team to the 5th Asean Para Games now ongoing in Kuala Lumpur.

The 64-man contingent that will see action in athletics, swimming, powerlifting, wheelchair tennis, table tennis, badminton, wheelchair basketball, sailing and chess hopes to surpass the 17-gold, 21-silver and 21-bronze haul of another RP squad during the 4th Asean Para Games in Thailand two years ago.

The incentives for medalists in previous Asean Para Games are P25,000 for gold, P15,000 for silver and P10,000 for bronze.

Under Senate Bill 1408, which expands the scope of the Republic Act 9064 or the sports incentives law, the differently abled medalists will receive the same incentives like the regular national athletes.

Since the Asean Para Games is in the level of the Southeast Asian Games, the medalists will get P100,000 for a gold, P50,000 for silver and P10,000 for bronze.

Cayetano’s bill also seeks to give the differently abled athletes free medical/dental consultations, scholarships, retirement and death benefits.

Cayetano and Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan also vowed to give out P300,000 each for the training of differently abled athletes under the Philippine Sports for the Differently-Abled.