House Deputy Speaker Dan Fernandez yesterday urged the country’s top 100 corporations to stand “ninong” (godparent) for Filipino medal winners in the Southeast Asian Games by contributing to the reward pot initiated by the House of Representatives.
Fernandez said that with the P10-million cash reward that will be raised by congressmen through the initiative of House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, each gold medalist athlete will get a total P400,000, including the P300,000 provided for under Republic Act 10699.
“The country’s 100 top business firms might want to increase the ante for the gold medalist to guarantee them P500,000 each. Then they can continue playing the role of ‘ninong’ for all other medal finishers, they might also want to be generous this Christmas season by giving all other Filipino athletes and coaches cash gifts,” said Fernandez.
The Laguna lawmaker said RA 10699 guarantees Filipinos who won gold medals in individual competitions at least P300,000 while those who won top honors in team competitions will be entitled to 25 percent of the amount.
Under the same law, silver medalists will receive P150,000 each while those with bronze honors are entitled to P60,000.
In House Resolution No. 568, congressmen led by Cayetano vowed to raise at least P10 million for the gold medal winners in the SEAG.
The pledge of at least P10 million in additional benefits for Filipino SEAG gold medalists were upon the initiative of Cayetano, who chairs the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee; House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez; House Deputy Speakers Paolo Duterte and Prospero Pichay; House Committee on Accounts chairman Rep. Abraham Tolentino, who is also president of the Philippine Olympic Committee; and House Committee on Youth and Sports Development chairman Rep. Eric Martinez. (Ben Rosario)