Duterte commits P100M for Olympics-bound athletes

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday committed P100 million for the training of Filipino athletes in the Olympics 2020 in Japan.

“We will try to raise the money,” Duterte said in his speech during the awarding of 30th Southeast Asian Games medalists in Malacañang.

The President asked Philippine and Amusement Gaming Corp. Chair Andrea Domingo to look for the funds.

“So I have another 100 million. But I’m very strict about money… [it] must be accounted [for] up to the last centavo,” he said.

During the program, Duterte awarded the cash incentives for the medalists and conferred the Order of Lapu-Lapu.

The country got 149 gold, 117 silver, and 121 bronze medals in the 11-nation regional meet.

Under the law, gold medalists in the 30th SEA Games will receive P300,000 from the government while silver and bronze medalists get P150,000 and P60,000, respectively.

Duterte earlier added P250,000 more to the cash incentives of gold medalists, P150,000 to silver medalists, and P100,000 to bronze medalists.

Pagcor gave P117 million as cash incentives for all the medalists and coaches of the biennial sports meet.

In his speech, Duterte hailed the Filipino athletes for bringing honor to the country.

“I thus take this opportunity to congratulate everyone who played an integral part in its success. This outcome serves as a testament to the great things we can achieve when we work together,” he said.

“I am hopeful that this milestone lights the torch for our nation’s renaissance in athletic glory. I thus encourage everyone present to continue supporting our Filipino athletes who embody excellence, superiority and teamwork,” he added.

/atm