THE House of Representatives is moving to strengthen the support system for Filipino athletes by revisiting and potentially amending Republic Act (RA) No. 10699, the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act.
The announcement was made by no less than Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during a heroes welcome Wednesday held by the House of Representatives for Filipino Olympians, who made waves at the recently concluded 2024 Summer Games in Paris.
In recognizing the athletes’ achievements, Speaker Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus-strong chamber, stressed the need to improve existing legislation to better serve the Philippine sports community.
Speaker Romualdez tasked Isabela Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III, chair of the House Committee on Youth and Sports Development, with leading the legislative review process.
“We will conduct a review of our legislation, among others, Republic Act No. 10699, the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act. Kailangang amyendahan natin para maibibigay ang suporta at tulong po sa lahat ng mga atleta natin,” Romualdez said.
“So we shall be conducting review. I will ask our chairman, Mike Dy to conduct a review on how we can further improve the legislation para suportahan natin ang sports sa Pilipinas and to make the appropriate appropriations,” Romualdez said.
“We will be meeting again further with our friend, [Chairman Richard] Dick Bachmann from the Philippine Sports Commission and of course with President Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino of the Philippine Olympic Committee and of course the stakeholders on how we can improve the plight of our athletes,” the Speaker said.
Speaker Romualdez, Tingog Rep. Yedda K. Romualdez, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe, Isabel Rep. Faustino Michael Carlos Dy III and House Secretary General Reginald “Reggie” S. Velasco led the awarding of incentives and citations to all the athletes and coaches who attended the event.
Olympics double gold medalist Carlos Edriel Yulo received P6 million from the House of Representatives for his two golds and an additional P8 million from contributions of House members led by Speaker Romualdez, Rep. Yedda Romualdez, House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co, Gonzales, Dalipe and Deputy Speaker David “Jay-jay” Suarez.
This is on top of the P500,000 he received before he left for the Paris Olympics. In total, Yulo received P14.510 million.
Boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, a constituent of the Speaker in Tacloban City, received P1 million each for winning a bronze medal and an additional P2.5 million each from contributions of House members. They also received P500,000 each before leaving for France, for a total of P4 million each.
Each of the remaining 19 Olympic athletes received a total of P1 million: P500,000 before leaving the country and P500,000 during Wednesday’s ceremony.
The Philippines was represented in the Paris Olympics by 22 world-class athletes who competed in nine different sporting events, namely Yulo, Aleah Finnegan, Emma Malabuyo and Levi Ruivivar for artistic gymnastics; Villegas, Petecio, Hergie Bacyadan, Carlo Paalam and Eumir Marcial for boxing; Ernest John Obiena, John Cabang-Tolentino and Lauren Hoffman for athletics; Vanessa Sarno, John Febuar Ceniza and Elreen Ann Ando for weightlifting; Joanie Delgaco for rowing; Samantha Catantan for fencing; Kayla Sanchez and Jarod Hatch for swimming; Pagdanganan and Dottie Ardina for golf; and Kiyomi Watanabe for judo.
The Speaker’s call for reform follows the Philippines’ strong performance at the Paris Olympics, where Filipino athletes captured global attention by bringing home medals that highlighted the nation’s growing prowess.
The heroes welcome was both a celebration of the success of the athletes and a reflection on the country’s progress in the international sports arena.
The athletes, particularly Yulo, were hailed by Speaker Romualdez as modern-day heroes, representing the perseverance and excellence that have characterized the nation’s Olympic journey over the past century.
“Here in the House of Representatives, the House of the People, we are honored by your victory, by your achievement,” Speaker Romualdez said. “You have made this all possible, and now it is our turn to ensure that you receive the support you deserve.”
The proposed amendments to RA 10699 could include increasing financial incentives, upgrading training facilities, and expanding resources for coaches and sports programs.
“Our goal is not only to recognize our athletes for their achievements but also to provide them with the tools and resources they need to continue succeeding,” the Speaker said.
“This review is about making sure we do everything we can to support our athletes, from their training to their competitions and beyond,” he added.
The House of Representatives led by Speaker Romualdez conferred the Congressional Medal of Excellence (adopted as Resolution No. 233)
on gymnastics competition to Yulo and Congressional Medal of Distinction (adopted as Resolution Nos. 239 and 240, respectively) on boxing events to bronze medalists Petecio and Villegas.
The House of Representatives adopted Resolution No. 241 honoring all Filipino athletes and the entire Philippine delegation who competed in the last Olympics.
The Congressional Medal of Excellence is the highest award to Filipino achievers in sports, business, medicine, science and arts and culture.
