House could improve coaches’, trainers’ lot

THE PHILIPPINE Olympic Committee is spearheading a move to increase the incentives for coaches and provide bonuses for winning trainers in competitions not covered by the law on incentives.

POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. said yesterday he would seek the help of the House of Representatives to review Republic Act 9064, known as the Sports Incentives Act, specifically the provision on the financial benefits of coaches and trainers for steering their athletes to victory.

Based on the law, the incentives for coaches and trainers shall be equivalent to 50 percent of the cash awards for gold, silver and bronze medalists in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Championships and the Olympics.

Athletes and coaches of athletes who won medals in international competitions outside of these tournaments are not entitled to bonuses from the government.

“We really have to amend the law,” said Cojuangco. “I’m asking for that provision (on coaches and trainers) to be reviewed. It’s already outdated. The incentives for athletes and coaches should also be increased.”

The local Olympic chief also said that the medalists and their coaches in the Asian Beach Games should also be entitled to incentives since the event is a continental competition like the Asian Games.

The Philippine dragon boat team coached by Len Escollante pocketed two silver and one bronze medals in the third edition of the beach games held last month in Haiyang, China.

“It’s really unfair if we don’t recognize their accomplishments,” said Cojuangco. “It’s the same kind of competition (as the Asian Games) and they’re being deprived of the financial benefits that they truly deserved.”

RA 9064, passed into law by the 11th Congress in 2001, rewards gold medalists in the Asiad P1 million, silver winners P500,000 and bronze medalists P100,000.

For competitions with five or more participants per team such as dragon boat, the team “shall receive twice the cash awards for individual winners, to be divided equally among the team members present during the competition.”