CORDILLERA ATHLETE IN DOUBT OF INCENTIVES

June 3, 2023 Metro BLISTT

BAGUIO CITY

Philippine athletes from the Cordilleras who won medals in the last Southeast Asian Games in
Phnom Phen, Cambodia are not optimistic if they receive any incentive from Malacanang. “I am not really optimistic,” said Emmanuel Cantores winner of a silver medal in men’s 60 kilogram in vovinam. Cantores, during a media meet on Tuesday at the Baguio athletic bowl, said that they have not received any information or any signal from Malacanang if incentives will be given this time.
Cantores said that unlike in the past SEAG, they were already assured of incentives right after competition. Under Republic Act 10699, gold medal winners get PHP300,000, PHP150,000 for a silver and PHP60,000 for a bronze medal.

The country finished with a 58-86-116 gold-silver and bronze haul and `despite finishing fifth was the most medals won in 40 years. The athletes may receive at least PHP37 million as incentives. The Cordillera helped deliver 10-11-16 medals or a share of about PHP5.6 million from the pot. These include efforts from two Olympics silver medalists, one of whom is seeking redemption after a bronze medal finish in the return of his event to the biennial meet and a kickboxer who won his third straight gold, which are some of the biggest stories in the recently concluded biennial meet.

Carlo Paalam and Nesthy Petecio headline the gold medal haul for the Cordilleran and adopted athletes of the city which gave its biggest bonus in 2021 to athletes courtesy of the two Olympians.
The two again carried the country’s pride in the biennial meet when they won in their respective division and power the country’s boxing team to a 4-5-1 haul. And there is Team Lakay’s Jean Claude Saclag, named after the 80s martial arts actor, who won his third straight gold medal in kickboxing, particularly in men’s 63 kilogram low kick. Saclag has now an extensive resume which
includes a silver medal from the Asian Games in 2014 in wushu sanda before shifting to his present event.

The guy who made headlines in the 2019 SEAG in Manila when he refused to wear an underwear
on his g-string is back by ruling the men’s individual anyo – non-traditional open weapons arnis.
Crisamuel Delfin, like Saclag, were refused by the city government of their cash rewards in 2019 for being nonBaguio athletes. They were, however, given their bonus months after the first batch were
given theirs. Sandi Menchi Abahan is also back in her winning ways as she helped the women’s relay squad to the gold medal. Boxer Ian Clark Bautista, wrestler Jason Balabal and kickboxing beauty Claudine Veloso, winner in the women’s 52 kg., are also in the list of the gold winners. From Abra, Olympian Kurt Barbosa also took the top podium.

The 23-year old Bangued, Abra native who competes in the 54 kg kruyogi ruled the division for the third straight time. Gideon Fred Padua improved to a silver finish in wushu sanda after a bronze medal result in Vietnam last year. It is his third SEAG medal after a silver in 2019 in Manila. Beijing Olympics bronze medal winner Mariane Mariano also accounted for a silver medal in women’s 54 kg. kun bokator, a deviation from the sambo she was entered to in the last two SEAG where she earned bronze medals. Leeariel Lampacan, who failed to make it to the ONE Championship last year made a home in kon bokatur and a silver medal.

Kickboxing produced the most silver medals with Renalyn Dacquel and Team Lakay’s Jeremy Pacatiw and Gina Iniong-Araos, who ended her two winning streak in 55 kg kick light kickboxing in the biennial event. Roger Ladon and Irish Magno both came home with silver medals in boxing, with the former failing to defend his men’s 51 kg. crown for the third time. It is the third silver medal for Magno in the SEAG. Vovinam has two silver medals courtesy of Emmanuel Cantores (60 kg.) and Hergie Bacyadan (60 kg). Another wrestler contributed a silver in Jason Baucas after losing in the finals in the men’s 72 kg. Greco-Roman.

There are seven bronze medals from kickboxing, courtesy of Honorio Banario, Carl Von Buminaang, Daryl Chulipas, Danny Kingad, Kurt Lubrica and Jomar Balangui, who was winless last year and silver medal finisher in 2019. Team Lakay’s Jenely Olsim accounted for one of the three bronze medals in kon Khmer with the others coming from Felix Davis Cantores and Zyra Bon-as. Arnis accounted for two with newcomers Mackjohn Neil Pineda and Ezekyl Habig. Vovinam has one in Jerlyn Kingad, while Estie Gay Liwanen, who won a gold in the 2019 SEAG in kurash and a bronze medal in last year’s SEAG in Vietnam also in kurash.

Kon bokator has one bronze in Godwin Langbayan, while taekwondo accounted for a bronze medal courtesy of two time world champion Jeordan Dominguez and Kobe Macario, who were in the company of five in the senior team freestyle poomsae of taekwondo. Christel Rei Fuentesfina was part of the bronze winning team in team event badminton. The athletes are expected to receive their incentives from the city government soon.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN