LUNA, Apayao—“Surprised and inspired.” This is how athletes of Apayao, some even with teary-eye, felt when they received their cash incentives as reward for their sacrifices and feat in the recent Palarong Pambansa and Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Meet.
Not only the awardees but also other pupils, students, parents, teachers and officials of Apayao were motivated with the unexpected simultaneous giving of cash incentives on August 1-3 which went as high as P55,000 for one athlete like Ronald Oandasan of Sta. Marcela who bagged three gold and two silver medals in the CARAA Meet and pocketing silver medal in the Palarong Pambansa.
Governor Elias C. Bulut, Jr. spearheaded the handing of checks of about 152 athletes in the seven (7) municipalities of Apayao who chose to visit Pudtol Vocational High School on August 2 where lady wrestler Christian Marie Balungday, a bronze medalist in the Palarong Pambansa, is studying.
Bulut, commonly known as “Gov. Butzy”, who personally awarded also the incentives of the elementary baseball team in Sta. Filomena, Calanasan, applauded the achievements of the athletes who brought honor to the province. He challenged them to do better in the coming CARAA Meet.
“With the incentives you received, you should be inspired hoping for more athletes to be awarded next CARAA. Encourage also your classmates to follow what you did so that they could also receive awards,” Gov. Bulut stressed.
He advised the teachers and parents to guide the awardees to use wisely the incentives they received as these are the fruits of their sacrifices and hard works.
“Make sure that the money they received will not only be spent in cell phones or loads for their boyfriends or girlfriends,” Gov. Bulut reminded with a grin.
Gov. Butzy also asked Vice Governor Albano to include the coaches in the awarding of monetary incentives.
And considering the plight of the students-audience who are witnessing the awarding ceremony under the heat of the sun, he assured for a school gymnasium at Pudtol Vocational High School for 2018 budget to the delight of the crowd.
The awarding of cash incentives has been made possible with the enactment of Provincial Ordinance No. 05 by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Apayao entitled “An ordinance recognizing the contributions and achievements of school children/pupils and students in the Province of Apayao who win in any contested event or competition whether in sports or academics by giving them plaque of recognition and awarding them cash incentives by category they compete, and likewise granting cash incentives to graduates landing among the top ten of any board examinations and the bar examinations, and further, authorizing appropriations thereof.”
The ordinance authored by Vice Governor Remy Albano acknowledges and appreciates the honor and prestige brought about by school children, pupils and students, either individually or in group in the Province of Apayao for winning any contested event or competition in the field of sports and in academic.
The ordinance aims to encourage talented Iapayao athletes and academicians to shine in the regional, national and international arena by recognizing their contributions and achievements through cash incentives and plaques of recognition.
In regional competition, the gold medalist receives P10,000 while the silver and bronze medalists have P5,000 and P3,000, respectively. The gold medalist in a national competition will be given P20,000 while silver medalist, P10,000 and P6,000 for the bronze medalist.
Those who will compete in international competition receive P30,000 for gold, P20,000 for silver and P12,000 for bronze.
For bar or board examination topnotchers (among the top 10), they will receive P50,000 as cash incentive. BY GERRIAHZON S. SEBASTIAN
