THE man who bravely led Philippine sports during its darkest hours will be honored by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) when it recognizes the top performers
and achievers of 2020 next week.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino will receive the President’s Award during the virtual San Miguel Corp.-Philippine Sportswriters Association Annual Awards Night at the TV5 Media Center on March 27.
Acting in his capacity as congressman from Cavite’s eighth district, Tolentino convinced his colleagues at the House of Representatives to include a P180-million item to the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act 2 that benefited athletes and coaches on the national team.
Under the House version of Republic Act 11494, members of the national squad began receiving their monthly allowances in full starting November last year after their stipend was cut in half when government decided to channel funds to its Covid-19 pandemic campaign.
The passing of the Bayanihan Act 2 also allowed national team members to receive—retroactive—the 50-percent cut from their allowances dating back to July, while at the same time providing them a one-time P5,000 pandemic assistance.
“Even before the din of the victorious Philippine campaign in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games was over, he [Tolentino] proceeded to lead the way for Philippine sports through uncertainty and darkness wrought by an invisible and merciless adversity in 2020,” said PSA President Tito Talao, sports editor of the Manila Bulletin.
“If for that alone, the PSA President’s Award is most sincerely presented to Rep. Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino, president of the Philippine Olympic Committee,” Talao added.
Tolentino will be one of the select special awardees to be recognized by the country’s oldest media organization in the event co-presented by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and Cignal TV, with 1- Pacman Party-list, Chooks-to-Go and Rain or Shine as major backers.
The virtual Awards Night, to be hosted by Gretchen Ho and Carlo Pamintuan, will be aired on March 28 at One Sports+ from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The 57-year-old Tolentino, a former councilor and mayor of Tagaytay City, is in great company as previous recipients of the President’s Award include world champion and Tokyo Olympics-bound gymnast Carlos Yulo, the unbeaten National University Lady Bulldogs, Gilas Pilipinas 3.0, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Chairman Emeritus and Philippine Basketball Association team owner Manuel V. Pangilinan, Ateneo men’s basketball team and world pool champions Rubilen Amit, Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza, among others.
As a testament to his leadership, Tolentino was given a fresh, four-year mandate at the POC last November. He was previously elected to take over the remaining term of former POC President Ricky Vargas, who tendered his irrevocable resignation in 2019.
Upon his reelection, the POC chief lobbied in the Senate, through his brother Senator Francis Tolentino, the appropriation of about P900 million in the 2021 national budget to bolster the training of the country’s national athletes. A separate version in the House of Representative was earlier passed.
Before the year ended, Tolentino was reelected to a third four-year term as president of the International Cycling Federation of the Philippines or PhilCycling.