Asian Games medalists set to receive cash incentives

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will personally congratulate and hand over the incentives to the Filipino athletes who brought home medals from the Hangzhou Asian Games early this month.

The country’s two highest officials are scheduled to grace the grand heroes’ welcome dubbed “Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat para sa Bayaning Atletang Pilipino” at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

The country raked in four gold medals, including the one that mattered most — the men’s basketball mint — two silver and 12 bronze medals.

EJ Obiena of pole vault, and Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez of jiu-jitsu were the other gold winners, and all of them stand to receive P2 million as mandated by law.

Silver winners Eumir Marcial of boxing and Arnel Mandal of wushu; and bronze medalists Patrick King Perez of taekwondo, Jones Inso, Gideon Padua and Clemente Tabugara, Jr. of wushu; Alex Eala and Francis Alcantara of tennis; Patrick Coo of cycling; Elreen Ando of weightlifting; Kaila Napolis of jiu-jitsu; Sakura Alforte of karate; and the men’s sepak takraw squad will also be honored and will receive cash bonuses.

The silver medalists will get P1 million while a bronze is worth P400,000.

The Philippine Olympic Committee promised an extra P1 million for gold.

And there’s a chance the Chief Executive would double it the same way he did when he met with medal winners from last May’s Phnom Penh Southeast Asian Games.

Also in the list of attendees released Tuesday are Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan, San Miguel CEO and president Ramon S. Ang, SBP president Al Panlilio, PBA chair Ricky Vargas, vice chair Bobby Rosales and commissioner Willie Marcial, Philippine Sports Commission chair Richard Bachmann, POC president Abraham Tolentino, and San Miguel sports director and Gilas manager Alfrancis Chua.