The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has prepared around P35 million in government cash incentives for Filipino medalists and their coaches at the 20th Asian Games, according to Chair Patrick Gregorio.
Gregorio said the computation could increase as the Philippine campaign winds down at the Aichi-Nagoya Games.
Under Republic Act No. 10699, or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, an individual Asian Games gold medalist receives P2 million from the government. A silver is worth P1 million and a bronze P400,000.
That means gymnast Carlos Yulo is entitled to P4 million for his two gold medals, while pole vaulter EJ Obiena and virtual taekwondo champion Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape are due P2 million each for their golds.
Gregorio said the incentive total also covers coaches and linked the growing payout to the breadth of the Philippine medal campaign.
‘We are very happy that we won so many medals in so many sports. If I’m not mistaken, it is 18 or 19 sports,’ Gregorio said. ‘In China at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, we won in 11 sports. That is the big change, and that is what is important in the development of Philippine sports and our grassroots program.’
The PSC chief also joined the clamor to ease up on criticisms of athletes who failed to win gold, using 18-year-old taekwondo athlete Tachiana Keizha Mangin’s silver-medal run to argue against judging Filipino athletes solely by the color of their medal.
Mangin defeated Japan’s Ruka Okamoto, 2-1, in the women’s -49-kilogram semifinals before losing to China’s Ma Jingyue in the gold-medal bout.
Gregorio said Mangin had been three points behind Okamoto with one second remaining before forcing her way into the final.
‘She was down by three points against her Japanese opponent with one second left,’ Gregorio said in Filipino. ‘She was still able to land a roundhouse kick and advance to the final.’
Against Ma, both rounds ended without a scoring point, with the Chinese athlete taking each round on superiority.
Gregorio said Mangin’s reaction after both the semifinal victory and the loss in the final showed how narrow the margins can be at the Asian Games.