Agatha Wong urges strict implementation of national athletes benefit law

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino wushu star Agatha Wong is pushing for strict implementation of the 20 percent discount for national athletes and coaches in the country.

Under Section 4 of Republic Act No. 10699, national athletes and coaches are entitled to a 20 percent discount from all transportation services, hotels, restaurants, recreation centers and purchase of medicine and sports equipment throughout the country.

However, enforcing the law is yet to be a common practice in establishments, according to Wong.

“Can we make R.A. 10699 on the national athlete’s discount benefits an imposed & required law to abide by? Gets quite annoying to keep having to explain to managers that this kind of benefit actually exists & some are even doubtful. U think amalayer? (You think I’m a liar?),” Wong, who bagged two gold medals in the 30th Southeast Asian Games earlier this month, wrote on Twitter Saturday.

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Can we make R.A. 10699 on the national athlete’s discount benefits an imposed & required law to abide by?

Gets quite annoying to keep having to explain to managers that this kind of benefit actually exists & some are even doubtful. U think amalayer? 😂

— Agatha Wong (@AgathaWongy) December 21, 2019

Nikko Huelgas, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist in triathlon, also shared the same problems where athletes and coaches more often than not had been denied of such privileges under the expanded Athletes and Coaches Incentives Act.

“There are establishments that honor our IDs. But in most cases, we have to shell out the full amount of the purchase,” said Huelgas in story by the INQUIRER two months ago.

READ: National athletes, coaches entitled to 20 percent discount

The benefits and privileges also apply in admission fees charged by theaters, movie houses and concert halls and other places of culture, leisure and amusement as well as free medical and dental consultations in government hospitals.