EVEN with a lower budget, the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Cordillera Administrative Region
(CAR) remains clear of its target of a better finish in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa slated April 16 to
20 in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.
DepEd officials expressed confidence that with the significant increase in the cash incentives to be given
to the region’s medalists during the Palarong Pambansa, athletes and coaches will be inspired to do
their best in bringing home medals in their sports disciplines and help in improving the region’s standing
in the national sports tournament.
Lawyer Sebastian Tayaban , chief of the DepEd-CAR’s administrative and finance division, claimed the
cash incentives to be given by the regional office to the region’s medalists will be over and above the
cash incentives being granted by the different local governments where the athletes and coaches come
from.
For this year’s Palarong Pambansa, the DepEd revealed that the region was able to get a budget of some
P6.2 million which is much lower compared to the P12 million budget that the region received last year.
However, Tayaban , explained the reduction in the region’s palaro budget this year is understandable
because of the shorter distance from the city to the venue, thus, the region was able to source out some
additional P2 million from its regular budget to augment the funds that were taken from the central
office for the staging of the premier sports competition.
For gold medal winners in the Palarong Pambansa, the athletes will be receiving P5, 000 cash incentive,
silver medalists will be getting P3, 000 cash incentives and bronze medalists will be receiving P2, 000
cash incentives. Previously, gold medalists were entitled to P3, 000 cash incentives, silver medalists were
getting P2, 000 cash benefits and bronze medalists will be entitled to P1, 000 cash incentives. Last year,
the CAR placed sixth overall after the conduct of the sports competition in Antique which was a big
improvement from the region’s previous ninth place finish a year ago.
Regional sports officials are confident that the athletes who were selected to join the different sports
events in the Palarong Pambansa are doing their trainings in their provinces and cities so that when
there will be a comprehensive training prior to their departure to the venue of the sports competition,
they will be ready for the expected stiff competition from the athletes coming from the different regions
of the country. Bulk of the region’s expected medal haul will come from individual and combative
sports. JBM