PRRD to give cash rewards to PH boxing team, other Olympians

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday pledged to give all three members of the Philippine boxing team additional cash incentives for winning medals in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Duterte made this announcement during the national boxing team’s virtual courtesy call after they arrived from their successful campaign in Tokyo Olympic Games.

He said these incentives are on top of the PHP5 million reward for Olympic silver medalist and PHP2 million for the bronze winner, by virtue of the law.

“I’d like to announce that in addition to what the law gives you, the PHP5 million silver medalist and the bronze medalist, PHP2 million. My office, the Office of the President will grant additional cash incentives to our athletes in the Tokyo Olympics,” Duterte said.

He said Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, who bagged silver medals in women’s featherweight and men’s flyweight, respectively, will receive an additional PHP2 million from the Office of the President.

Eumir Marcial, who took home bronze in the middleweight division, will receive an additional PHP1 million from his office, he said.

Order of Lapu-Lapu medal

He noted that all the three Filipino Olympic boxers will also receive the Order of Lapu-Lapu medal.

All other Filipino Olympians, including boxing flyweight campaigner Irish Magno, who did not win a medal will receive an additional PHP200,000 and Presidential citation.

“I don’t care about winning and that is why they will receive PHP200,000, all of you, all other Olympians would receive from my office,” he added.

Duterte joked about the boxers now having enough money to spend for a wedding.

“Puwede na kayong magpakasal. May panggastos na (You can all get married now. You have money to spend),” he quipped.

He also jested about giving them even more incentives if they ask for it.

“Kung medyo tingin ninyo na kulang pa, pakialam lang at sabihin at dagdagan pa natin ng dagdag kung tingin ninyo kulang. Kulang pa ba? (If you feel that it is not enough, we can add more. Is it not enough?) Well, okay, that is all the money we can afford actually,” he said.

On a more serious note, Duterte expressed his appreciation to the Filipino Olympic boxers for “bringing honor to the country.”

“It is not an everyday occurrence that we receive such an honor from our citizens of the Republic of the Philippines. You went to Tokyo to fight and I, well, say that you did your best and the Filipino people appreciate it,” he said.

He, meanwhile, urged them to return home to their respective provinces and “share” their glory with their friends and family.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, chairman of the Senate committee on youth and sports, presented the boxing team members to Duterte.

Go and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea joined other government and sports officials who welcomed the boxing team upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Monday.

In a courtesy call July 28, Duterte promised to give Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz PHP3 million and a house and lot in a government housing project for soldiers in Zamboanga City.

Diaz already gets a PHP10 million reward by virtue of law, aside from other pledges from the private sector.

Malacañang earlier said it is “no coincidence” that the Philippines achieved its best Olympics performance during the Duterte administration.

The Philippines also emerged as the top performer in the Southeast Asian region.