Marcos ‘a little embarrassed’ about lack of support for athletes, coaches
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday admitted feeling “a little embarrassed” about the lack of support for the country’s athletes and coaches.
“I am always a little embarrassed when I see that we are not supporting our athletes and our coaches and our trainers and all the support groups, even the families,” Marcos said in his speech in Malacaãng during the distribution of incentives to Filipino athletes who received medals at the 32nd Southeast Asia Games (SEA) and the 12th Asean Para Games.
“A lot of people have been making sacrifices. Those are our coaches and those who feed you, your parents. So it seems that what we, in government, considering the honor and the pride that you bring to the Philippines, it seems that it is not commensurate for the great service that you do for our country and our people,” Marcos went on, speaking partly in Filipino.
Marcos then vowed that the government would double the incentives guaranteed to the athletes by the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, which mandates the following:
SEA games, individual games category:
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- Gold medalist: P300,000
- Silver medalist: Php 150,000
- Bronze medalist: P60,000.
ASEAN Para Games: P150,000
