BAGUIO CITY – The City Sports Development Committee agreed to use a portion of the cash prizes earned by the local government in two national sports competitions to provide added incentives to the athletes and coachers who represented the city in the said sports competitions this year.
The committee chaired by Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan agreed to apportion some P1.163 million from the P8 million cash prize of the local government for placing second to Cebu in the Philippine National Games (PNG) last May and another P1.2 million from the P3 million cash prize of the city for topping the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships that was hosted by Baguio city last September for the additional incentives of athletes and coaches who represented the city in the sports competitions.
Earlier, the local government already granted to the athletes their mandatory cash incentives pursuant to the city’s S[ports Incentives ordinance.
However, Domogan pointed out that the participating athletes and coaches deserve to have a share from the cash prizes in terms of added incentives to inspire and motivate them to continue striving for the best in excelling in their sports events bringing honor and pride to the city as a producer of top calibre athletes in prestigious local, regional, national and international sports events.
The committee also agreed that part of the cash prizes earned by the city in the PNG and Batang Pinoy national championships will be used to purchase additional sports equipment upon consultations with the coaches for use in the training of potential athletes to help them develop as excellent players in their chosen sports events in future staging of similar sports competitions in the different parts of the country and the world as well.
Domogan explained the sports equipment should be in addition to sports equipment donated by the Philippine Sports Competition (PSC) to the local government after it hosted the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships.
The local government earned a total of P11 million as cash prizes for its second place finish in the PNG held in Cebu City last May and the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships hosted by the city last September.
Baguio City already received the P8 million cash prize for its second place finish in the PNG while the city’s P3 million cash prize for topping the 2018 Batang Pinoy national championships will still be personally turned over to Mayor Domogan by PSC Chairperson William Butch Ramirez who vowed to visit Baguio city anytime for the turnover of the cash prize.
The committee instructed the City Sports Development Office to furnish the Department of Education–Division of City Schools a copy of the inventory of the units of sports equipment donated by the PSC so that coaches can assess their equipment needs in their trainings and other sports-related activities.
Domogan said another important aspect being considered by the committee is that part of the cash prizes will be used to purchase state-of-the-art lights and sounds for use in sports, tourism and other gatherings sponsored by the local government.
By Dexter A. See
Banner photo by: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS
