Phl achievers receive P4.4-M PSC incentives

MANILA, Philippines - Athletes and coaches of previous achievers in the international competitions received their belated cash bonuses totalling P4.4 million during awarding rites coinciding with the send-off for Team Philippines to the 26th Southeast Asian Games last night at the PhilSports Arena.

Bowling coach Johnson Cheng led the third batch of the recepients of the windfall as provided for by R.A 9064 or the “National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2011.”

Cheng got P2.066 million for coaching Liza Clutario, Liza del Rosario and Cecilia Yap to the trios gold medal in the 2003 FIQ World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, and Paeng Nepomuceno and company to the silver of the five-player team event of the same world meet in 1991 in Singapore.

Four athletes also got their due rewards: 1995 World Soft Tennis Championships bronze medalist Josephine Paguyo (P250,000), 1962 Asiad silver and bronze medal-winning swimmer Sampang Hassan (P112,500), 1998 AG cycling bronze medalist Victor Espiritu (P50,000), and 1982 AG shooting bronze medalist Jose Medina (P35,000).

Billiards’ Ricardo Ancaja received P605,000 for mentoring 1998 Asian Games champions Romeo Villanueva and Gandy Valle and more medal-winning cuemasters in the SEA Games, while the late Pacifico Brobio and Eufrocina Brobio, coach-parents of 1986 Asiad gold and bronze medalist Ramon Brobio, earned P312,500.

Likewise entitled to incentives were Nico Valderama (P250,000) and Vicente Valdez (P41,666.67) of bowling, Anthony Lopez (P250,000), Wigberto Clavecilla, Jr. (P50,000), Alice Andrada (P25,000), Rodolfo Feliciano (P12,500), and Francis Gaston (P93,750) of golf, Patricia de Leon (P125,000) of tennis, and Giovanni Mamawal (P125,000) of soft tennis.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia, Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco and PAGCOR president and COO Jorge Sarmiento handed the incentives to the third batch of coaches and athletes.

Sports officials earlier released P2.2 million to the first group, led by boxing coaches and P9.5 million to the second batch led by bowling mentors.