ILOILO – Reinforcing its commitment to recognizing sporting excellence and encouraging greater athletic achievement among Ilonggo youth, the provincial government released P4.7 million in incentives to 691 medal-winning athletes, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, and chaperones who brought honor to the province during the 2026 Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association (WVRAA) Meet in Passi City.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the distribution of the incentives at the Provincial Capitol lobby last weekend.
The financial rewards were granted under Provincial Ordinance No. 2020-217, which institutionalizes incentives and recognition for provincial athletes and members of the coaching staff who excel in sports competitions recognized by the Department of Education, the Philippine Sports Commission, and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
The ordinance provides cash incentives according to medal finishes. Athletes, coaches and trainers receive P5,000 for every gold medal, P3,000 for silver and P2,000 for bronze.
Assistant coaches receive P3,000 for gold, P2,500 for silver and P2,000 for bronze, while chaperones receive P2,000, P1,500 and P1,000 for gold, silver and bronze medals, respectively.
The incentive program recognizes not only the athletes who won medals but also the coaches, trainers and support personnel whose efforts contributed to Iloilo’s success in one of Western Visayas’ premier school-based sporting competitions.
Iloilo Province’s outstanding performance in the regional meet was reflected in the overall standings. It emerged as overall champion, followed by Iloilo City and Aklan.
In the Paragames division, Iloilo Province also captured the championship, with Capiz finishing first runner-up and Aklan placing second runner-up.
The Iloilo provincial government’s continuing investment in sports development underscores its policy of rewarding excellence while inspiring young athletes to pursue higher levels of competition. By institutionalizing incentives through a provincial ordinance, Iloilo aims to sustain a culture of excellence and ensure that athletes and their support teams receive recognition for bringing pride to the province./PN
