ILOILO – After a prolonged anticipation, 421 athletes, coaches, and chaperones who secured gold, silver, and bronze medals for the province at the Palarong Pambansa 2023 and the Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet 2023 have now received their well-deserved incentives.
The provincial government, through the Iloilo Sports Management and Development Office (ISMDO), facilitated the incentive turnover on Thursday morning during the “Pasidungog sa Atletang Ilonggo” event at Casa Real.
Highlighting the importance of academic performance alongside athletic excellence, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias reminded the athletes of the need to balance their pursuits.
The incentive distribution process faced delays, attributed to the thorough adherence to procedural requirements and the completion of necessary documentation before releasing the approximately P5 million fund allocated for the incentives.
Vice Gov. Christine Garin assured that future incentive releases for medal-winning athletes would be expedited, thanks to the lessons learned and improvements made in the process.
The incentives, outlined by Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-217 authored by Garin, aim to recognize and reward the achievements of Iloilo’s athletes, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and chaperones in sports competitions sanctioned by the Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC).
Garin encouraged the beneficiaries to use their incentives wisely, highlighting the role of athletes in contributing to their families’ welfare.
The breakdown of cash incentives for Palarong Pambansa participants included: P8,000 for gold, P6,000 for silver, and P4,000 for bronze medalists across athletes, coaches, and trainers categories.
Assistant coaches receive P5,000 for gold, P4,000 for silver, and P2,500 for bronze, while chaperones are awarded P3,000 for gold, P2,000 for silver, and P1,000 for bronze.
WVRAA medalists, coaches, and trainers received P5,000 for gold, P3,000 for silver, and P2,000 for bronze.
Among the top beneficiaries were Precious Kylah Abreu and Sean Leumer Hitalia from Tiring Elementary School, Cabatuan, Iloilo, each receiving P57,000 for their outstanding performance in dance sports at both WVRAA and Palaro 2023. Their achievements included six gold medals at WVRAA and an additional four gold and two silver medals at Palaro.
These first-time dance sports champions expressed their happiness over the financial rewards, which will aid in their families’ sustenance. The duo, who have also triumphed in the dance sport at the Congressional Meet of the third district, look forward to participating in the Iloilo Schools Sports Council – Integrated Meet scheduled for March 10 to 15, 2024.
Additional top awardees included John Mark Pagdato from Lemery (athletics boys elementary) with P55,000; Marelyn Libuna from Calinog (athletics Para games) with P52,000; and Ma. Jerlyn Ariego from Lemery (athletics girls elementary) with P49,000./PN
