Gymnast Carlos Yulo will now get an incentive of P1 million.
Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez said the world gymnastics’ champion Yulo was supposed to only get a cash reward P500,000 under Republic Act No. 10699, also known as an “Act Expanding the Coverage of Incentives Granted to the National Athletes and Coaches.”
But the PSC board decided to add another P500,000.
“The other P500,000 is for setting a historic mark in gymnastics,” said Ramirez.
The 19-year-old Yulo, who made heads turn late Saturday when he won a first-ever gold medal for the Philippines in the men’s floor exercises of the 49th Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany, will make a courtesy call on President Duterte in Malacañang on Wednesday.
During the world championships, Yulo scored a personal-best 84.048 points over the six apparatuses as he stood his own against top Russian gymnasts in the all-around.
He became the second Filipino to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics because of this.
Yulo will be joined at the palace by boxer Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial and pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena for making it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The 27-year-old Petecio won over hometown bet Liudmila Vorontsova on points, 3-2, to claim the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships featherweight gold medal in Ulan-Ude, Russia also Sunday.
For her feat, Petecio will receive P500,000 from the government, along with Marcial, who bagged a silver medal at the 2019 AIBA Boxing World Championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia last month.
Obiena became the first Filipino to earn a slot to the Tokyo Olympics when he reset his own Philippine record in the men’s pole vault for the third time this year last September in Chiari, Italy.
He got the Olympic slot when he cleared 5.81meters and surpassed the Olympic standard of 5.80m.
Yulo will continue to train in Japan with his coach Munehiro Kugiyama when he returns to Tokyo by Friday.
Yulo also resumes his studies as a scholar at the Teikyo University.
Ramirez said he learned of Yulo’s feat over the weekend following a call from his son Omar, who is in London.
That’s when the PSC chief made efforts to organize a welcome party for him on Tuesday and prepare a cash bonus for Yulo.