Bonanza keeps coming Yulo’s way

AROUND P50 million worth of cash incentives were given by the Office of the President to Filipino athletes and their coaches who participated in the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the country bagged two gold and two bronze medals.

Last Tuesday night at Malacanang, President Marcos Jr. awarded P20 million in cash and the Presidential Medal of Merit to double Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, P2 million each and the Presidential Citation to bronze medalists Aira Cordero Villegas and Nesthy Alcayde Petecio, P1 million each to the other Olympians, and P500,000 each to their coaches.

This was on top of the financial rewards for Filipino Olympians as mandated by law.

Under Republic Act 10699, medalists would receive P10 million for the gold, P5 million for the silver and P2 million for the bronze.

Marcos, during the dinner reception for the Filipino Olympians, said each athlete who failed to win a medal would receive P1 million and their coaches P500,000 each from his office.

He said the amount was small compared to the hard work and sacrifices of the athletes and their coaches.

Out of the 22 athletes who competed in nine disciplines in Paris, 17 attended the dinner reception with the President.

Marcos acknowledged how the athletes showed the world the spirit, determination and excellence of the Filipinos.

“What we should do is really recognize all the athletes, number one, all the athletes. I think any athletes, kahit sinong atleta dito sa Pilipinas o kung saan man lang, na makapag-qualify sa Olympics, mabigat ‘yun. That is an extremely difficult achievement to have managed (What we should do is really recognize all the athletes, number one, all the athletes. I think any athlete, whether in the Philippines or wherever, who qualified for the Olympics, it’s a big thing. That is an extremely difficult achievement to have managed),” Marcos said.

“So, lahat naman ng atleta natin bigyan na natin basta nag-Olympian, bigyan natin tig-i-isang milyon…Bukod pa roon, dahil sa ating pangingilala sa mga lahat ng tumulong, the coaching staff, bibigyan din natin ng kalahating milyon (So we will give all the athletes, as long as they are Olympians, P1 million each…Aside from this, we