After clinching the first gold medal in the Philippines’ 97-year Olympic history, Hidilyn Diaz is set to reap the rewards of her hard work, and these include P33 million in cash awards.

The cash incentives are coming not just from the private sector, but from the national government – to be specific, P10 million of the total.

This incentive is mandated by Republic Act 10699, also known as the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act. This law, approved by the late former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III on November 13, 2015, expanded the coverage of incentives granted to national athletes and coaches.

It repealed RA 9064 or the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001. Under this old law, gold medalists for the Olympic Games were only entitled to P5 million, while silver and bronze medalists for Olympic Games were entitled to P2.5 million and P1 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, under RA 10699, Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalists are entitled to P10 million, P5 million, and P2 million, respectively. 

Diaz, a 30-year-old weightlifter from Zamboanga City, is the first Filipino athlete to receive the P10-million incentive.

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RA 10699 also entitles national athletes and coaches to certain discounts as well as benefits, like free medical and dental consultations, health insurance, a comprehensive social security program, priority in livelihood programs, and priority in national housing programs, among others, as provided by law.

It also offers cash incentives for gold, silver, and bronze medalists in other international sports competitions, including the following:

• Youth Olympic Games
• Paralympic Games
• Asian Games
• Asian Winter Games
• Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
• Asian Para Games
• Asian Beach Games
• Southeast Asian Games, and
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations Para Games, among others

Coaches who are Filipino citizens and who personally trained and rendered service to winning national athletes in international competitions, pending certification, are also entitled to 50% of the cash incentives for gold, silver, and bronze medalists. – Rappler.com