Coaches rue delay in release of incentives

More than two months after the competition, national coaches who steered Filipino athletes to medal victories in the Vietnam SEA Games have yet to receive their cash incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).

Chairman Buhain of the PSC announced last Feb. 13 that the incentives, amounting to more than P4 million, was to be released last Wednesday. But as of yesterday, the coaches have yet to receive a single centavo from the government sports agency.

"Wala ang pangako ni chairman (Broken promises)," said one of the winning coaches who requested anonymity.

Buhain said the incentives will be released on Tuesday.

The cash incentives for coaches is different from that of the athletes who were already awarded P100,000 for each gold, P50,000 for each silver and P10,000 for each bronze medal won either in individual or team events.

Under the law, coaches are bound to receive half–P50,000 for each of the 49 gold, P25,000 for each of the 54 silver and P5,000 for each of the 75 bronze medals won by the country in the biennial competition for a total of P4.25 million.

The delay in the release of the incentives, a PSC official said last month, was due to the failure of some recipients to comply with the PSC requirements that would prove they really trained the athletes. The athletes’ signatures are also needed as proof.

But during a recent dialogue with the national athletes at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Buhain announced that the PSC can and will no longer wait for the coaches who have yet to comply with the requirement.

"For those who have already complied, the cash incentives will be released next Wednesday," said the announcement that was greeted with applause from some coaches who were present in the dialogue.

Another coach, who also requested anonymity, said his fellow coaches have completed and submitted the requirements even before they left for the SEA Games held Dec. 4-12 last year.

"Kumpleto kami noon pa pero wala pa din ang incentive (We’ve complied but we’ve yet to receive)," said the coach who stands to receive P60,000 for a gold and two bronze medals won by his wards.