By John Noel E. Herrera
Student-athletes from Iloilo province, including their coaches and trainers, who have brought home medals during the recent Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet 2023 will be receiving cash incentives from the Iloilo Provincial Government.
Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. earlier said that Provincial Ordinance (PO) No. 2020-217 mandates rewards and recognition to athletes, including their coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and chaperones, who excel in sports competitions sanctioned by the Department of Education, the Philippine Sports Commission, and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
“Gusto gid man naton tagaan premyo ang aton mga achievers, and we have an ordinance for that. We have this basis,” Defensor said.
PO No., 2020-217 stated that student-athletes who won medals during the WVRAA will receive P5,000 for gold; P3,000 for silver, and P2,000 for bronze.
Head coaches and trainers will also receive the same amount stated above, depending on the medals won by their players, while assistant coaches will receive P3,000 for gold; P2,500 for silver, and P2,000 for bronze.
The chaperone, on the other hand, will receive P2,000 for gold; P1,500 for silver, and P1,000 for bronze.
The PO added that athletes receiving the reward and recognition must need to submit requirements, which include the certified true copy birth certificate issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Barangay certification of residency or voter’s affidavit; valid IDs, and any proof of winning – like their medals, trophy and certificates.
During the WVRAA Meet 2023 held in Aklan, team Iloilo sent a delegation of more than 700 athletes, coaches, and trainers to participate in 24 sports events at the secondary level and 15 sports events at the elementary level.
During the five-day event from April 26 to 30, 2023, Ilonggo athletes also showed grit and determination as Iloilo emerged as champion in three categories, which include the Elementary level, Secondary level, and the Para Games.
For the Secondary level, Iloilo won 103 gold medals, 69 silver medals, and 53 bronze medals, while for the Elementary level, they were able to get 69 gold medals, 50 silver medals, and 30 bronze medals.
The team also bagged 40 gold medals, 20 silver medals, and 9 silver medals for the Para Games.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said that the city government did not appropriate “any funds as rewards for the players and coaches of the medalists coming from Iloilo City at the recent WVRAA Meet.”
The mayor, however, stressed that he had already directed the Finance Committee to look for funds to give rewards to the winning players and coaches.
