National athletes, coaches set to recover half of monthly salary

MANILA, Philippines – National athletes and coaches will get half of the monthly salary they lost due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic once House Bill No. 6953 or Bayanihan 2 is enacted into law.

Tagaytay City Congressman “Abraham” Tolentino, who is also the Philippine Olympic Committee president, said Monday night that he had inserted into the Bayanihan or Recover As One Act in the provision allotting P180 million to finance the stipends of members of the Philippine team until December this year.

And as a bonus, they will get an extra P5,000 to help them cope up in these trying times.

It was part of P162 billion economic stimulus fund that was passed in the third and final reading in the lower house.

Senate had already passed its own version and once Congress agrees, it will be signed by President Duterte, it being a priority bill in the government’s fight against the global health malady.

“With the help of Speaker Allan Peter Cayetano, it is now approved in the House under Section 7 Paragraph R. It includes the P5,000 additional COVID-19 assistance for the athletes,” said Tolentino.

“We will now wait for the approval with the Senate in the scheduled bicameral meeting,” he added.

Tolentino said he had already spoken to Senate President Tito Sotto that the provisions would not be removed in the final reading.

“I already met with the Senate President for its inclusion and got his assurance,” he said.

Tolentino lived up to his promise months back to lobby for the return of the allowances of national athletes and coaches after the Philippine Sports Commission decided to slash their salary to half because of diminished subsidy from the Philippine Amusement and Games Corporation.