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‘Hidilyn Diaz law’ revived at Hse after Carlos Yulo’s Olympic victory
By J.Lo
“A 12-year-old Carlos Yulo once gave interview where he said his dream was to win gold medal for Philippines in Olympics…took him more than decade to reach that goal in grandest manner possible,” Rep. Joey Salceda (Albay, 2nd District) said as millions in pledges pour in for Carlos Yulo’s double-gold victory at 2024 Paris Olympics, House ways and means committee swiftly passed bill seeking to exempt his and other athletes’ financial rewards from taxes and other fees.
Still-unnumbered substitute bill amends Republic Act 10699 or National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act to grant tax exemptions for all incentives, rewards and other forms of donations to national athletes “who compete or win” in select international sports competitions.
Measure consolidates several House bills, including House Bill 421, refiled by committee chairman Salceda in 19th Congress.
Earlier version of bill dubbed “Hidilyn Diaz Law” was approved by lower chamber in 18th Congress in 2021 but failed to clear Senate.
Bill was filed after Filipina weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz snagged gold medal at 2020 Tokyo Olympics , first athlete from Philippines to win gold at Olympics.
In his sponsorship speech, Salceda pushed for bill to exempt not just cash prize handed out to winning athletes but also donations that go to their training one year before competition.
“What that teaches us is that prize is never won on the day of competition itself, but years before,” Salceda stressed.
Proposed law also makes tax exemption for athletes’ cash incentives retroactive to January 1 of this year.
Prior to approving provision, Salceda sought Department of Finance’s official position on the matter, quipping: “Please accept retroactivity…nakahihiya kay Yulo kung babawasan mo yung ibibigay ni Manuel . Pangilinan] and Ramon Ang (It’s embarassing to Yulo if you will deduct the rewards from Manuel Pangilinan and Ramon Ang.”
Representative from DOF will accept provision making tax exemptions retroactive to January 1.
Both DOF and Salceda also agreed to keep taxes in place for donations with commercial aspect.
Besides exempting donations one year before athletes join competition, House ways and means chairperson also proposed to make donations through Philippine Sports Commission or Philippine Olympic Committee tax-free regardless of the time that has passed.
“At the proper time, that can be introduced in plenary, but let me emphasize this once again: it is mere tokenism, it is mere public relations, to ride bandwagon when victory has already been achieved…what we need to incentivize is investments being made on athletes who are still working on winning medals for the country,” Salceda said.
Current National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act provides default 20% discount for national athletes in transportation services, hotels and restaurants, and purchase of medicine and sports equipment, among others, regardless of winning any international competition.
Lower chamber is set to award Yulo with P3 million in cash incentives for winning gold medal in floor exercise finals, and then another P3 million for topping vault exercise finals.
Riding on high of Yulo’s historic back-to-back win in men’s gymnastics, House Speaker Martin Romualdez vowed to study possibility of increasing government benefits to medalists in Olympics, including granting them monthly pensions for life.
Romualdez said lifetime monthly pension would honor Filipino athletes’ contributions to the country even after retirement.
In March, House youth and sports committee began its deliberations on House bill that provides retired Filipino Olympians with lifetime monthly pension of at least P15,000.
International Olympic Committee, governing body of Olympic Games, has long been concerned about career transition prospects of competing athletes.
In white paper published on its website, Olympic committee described how all athletes must eventually prepare to transition away from their elite sports career, especially as “athletes will have little to no experience of full-time job,” and some may have “missed out on college or university due to your sporting commitments.”
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