BY CHRISTINE MONCADA
PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez
yesterday said Sen. Gregorio Honasan is looking to work things out with Congress
to give differently-abled national athletes the same benefits their able-bodied
counterparts are receiving.
Honasan said he will try to convince his friends in Congress
to work on amendments to Republic Act 9064, otherwise known as the Athletes
Incentive Act.
The PSC Board is also set to meet with the Senate and House
Committee on Youth and Sports on Tuesday to discuss the proposal, among other
concerns.
"Part of the agenda is the Athletes Incentive Act, but we
will also discuss other matters, part of our effort to continue to find ways on
how to better serve our athletes," said Ramirez.
Members of the RP team, including coaches, receive cash
bonuses from the government for winning medals in the Southeast Asian Games,
Asian Games and the Olympics.
Although differently-abled athletes have been receiving
incentives from the government, the PSC is not mandated by law to do so.
"We give them incentives but it’s not in the law, we’re doing
it through board resolutions. That’s why Sen. Honasan is proposing to amend the
RA 9064," Ramirez added.
The government sports agency started awarding cash bonuses to
differently-abled athletes in the 3rd Asean Paragames held in the country in
2005.
Last Monday, Honasan and the PSC Board handed out incentives for medal
winners of the 4th Paragames in Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand. A gold medal was
worth P25,000, a silver P10, 000 and bronze P5,000.
