By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipino pole-vaulter EJ Obiena will become P1.5 million richer after breaking the 23-year-old Asian pole-vaulting record.
The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that they will be rewarding the prized pole vaulter with the amount through chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.
The PSC is just waiting for the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association’s (PATAFA) endorsement so that they can proceed with the next steps.
PATAFA still needs to release the endorsement files from Obiena’s international competitions which will then be evaluated by the PSC’s national sports association affairs before releasing.
Obiena’s cash incentive after his achievement is part of Section 8 of the Republic Act 10699 or the expanded National Athletes, Coaches, and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001.
Under RA 10699: National athletes and other athletes who surpass Philippine record or ranking in any measurable international sports competition shall be given cash incentives, the amount of which may be determined by the PSC.
Obiena did the record-breaking leap in Austria during the 2021 Golden Roof Challenge where he cleared the 5.93-meter mark.
The event surpassed the 5.92-meter record set by Kazakhastan’s Igor Potapovich on February 19, 1998.
After another record was broken, Obiena will have a chance to improve his current world no. 5 ranking as more points will boost his tally.
