Some 25 recognized Baguio athletes can get an estimated PhP856,000 from the city for winning medals in the recent 31st Southeast Asian Games held in Hanoi, Vietnam.
This after they won a total of five golds, 11 and 12 silver medals in the biennial meet which was supposed to be held in December of last year but was delayed until last May due to the spike in Covid-19 infections on said date last year due to the Omicron variant.
Dancesport’s Stephanie Sabalo stands to get the biggest share from the said amount with first time SEAG attendee Zephania Ngaya equaling the amount for winning medals in two separate events. John Claude Saclag and Gina Iniong Araos are also set to get the same amount.
Sabalo joined husband and dancing pair Michael Angelo Marquez in securing a gold – two silver production, down from the 2-1 gold-silver performance in the 2019 edition in the country.
The Pines City National High School alum from Irisan stands to receive PhP60,000 for her effort – PhP30,000 for the gold and PhP15,000 each for the silver medal.
Ngaya, on the other hand, is set to get PhP40,000 for her silver winning performance in kickboxing, the most successful team with 2-3-2 gold-silver-bronze performance, and another PhP20,000 for the bronze in the Vietnamese sport vovinam.
Saclag and Aroaso won their second straight in the biennial meet that will net them PhP60,000 each. Jones Inso is also set to get PhP60,000 for his two medal win im wushu taolu.
The amount was doubled from the previous SEAG due to the passage of the amended Sports Code in 2020 wherein athletes get PhP60,000, PhP40,000 and PhP20,000 for a gold-silver-bronze medal performance in that order. That is twice the PhP30,000, PhP20,000 and PhP10,000 in the old sports code.
Claudine Veloso and Renalyn Daquel are also set to receive PhP40,000, while inaugural ONE featherweight champion and Emmanuel Cantores will be getting PhP20,000 each.
Islay Erica Bomogao will only receive half of the PhP60,000 for a golden performance which she did with Richien Yosorez in muay Thai mai muay all female.
Helen Aclopen, who won a bronze in sambo in the last SEAG, and Charmae Quelino won silver in the last SEAG in kurash and are guaranteed PhP40,000, while 2019 gold medal winner Estie Gay Liwanen settled for bronze for a PhP20,000 incentive.
Minalyn Foy-os stands to get PhP40,000 for winning a silver in wrestling.
The boxers are led by Eumir Marcial, winner of an Olympic bronze last year, with his gold, while Irish Magno gets her second consecutive silver. Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Nesthy Petecio, meanwhile will get PhP20,000 for her bronze output, same as fellow former world champion Josie Gabuco, who won a gold in the last SEAG.
Divne Wally, who won a gold in the 2019 SEAG, and Gideon Fred Padua, silver in the 2019 edition, are set to get PhP20,000 each.
Ariel lee Lampacan and April Joy Lamadrid complete the athletes list with their bronze medals and PhP20,000 each.
Jeordan Dominguez and Justin Kobe Macario will be getting PhP8,000 each as their share in helping the five person mixed poomsae team to the silver medal.
Kickboxing will receive more than a fourth of the pot with PhP220,000, boxing comes next with PhP140,000. Wushu and kurash will get a total of PhP100,000 each and dancesport is assured of PhP60,000 to round off the top earners.
The athletes were feted by the city of Baguio during the flag raising ceremony last July 4. Pigeon Lobien
