By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
Nothing can be more inspiring today than Filipino superathlete Carlos Yulo’s historic achievement for the country: 2 Gold medals in the Olympics.
And to think that before Pinay weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz became Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020 (an Olympics staged in 2021 due to the pandemic), our nation did not even know the taste of gold.
It took a long while for us to realize what our national sports program needed to be in medal contention and even a longer time and the awareness of globalization to pursue what was required: exposure to international training and events.
Even now, most of our world-class athletes rally on the sheer power of rigorous training and determination. Very few are lucky to have strategic investments required to make them champions.
Now that we see the likes of Caloy Yulo and his magnificent triumph in Paris, the government must examine his journey to the top and be willing to replicate that formula in the programs it funds not just for our brightest athletes, but as a national program for our youth.
Firing Line believes a strong and energized youth sports program combats at least three of my pet peeve social ills: drugs and extreme wokeness.
Don’t get me wrong, I commend recent efforts by our government to uplift the quality of its sports development programs. Perhaps, it even deserves mentioning that the success of Yulo and other Filipino athletes who made it to Paris 2024 could be partly a reflection of the growing effectiveness of our sports programs in recent years.
Allow me to give a shoutout to Paranaque Representative Gus Tambunting, for example, who had pushed for the institutionalization of the Philippine National Games through House Bill 8468. This is a gold-worthy effort in Congress since grassroots sports development is crucial in identifying and cultivating our future Olympians.
Tambunting has also proposed in House Bill 6746 the expansion of incentives for athletes and coaches to recognize the hard work and dedication they put into training — a must in order to excel in sports. By supporting our athletes not just financially, but also through a well-structured and incentivized system, the Philippines can continue to build on its recent successes, of course, bannered by Yulo.
Naturally, our Golden Boy will be showered with so much love when he returns to Manila, and along with that would be a great amount of well-deserved incentives. Many reactions in this day and age would probably be, “Sana all!” Mine would be, “Sana tax-free.” I hope the government stays true and audacious in ensuring that these rewards all go to our champ and our other Olympians who reap medals.
I agree with Tambunting, who has sponsored House Bill 5067 — and I believe many of you would find this is both timely and necessary — in order to seek tax exemptions on donations directly allocated to sports development.
If we do so, we would not only provide much-needed financial support for our athletes but also create a more sustainable model for sports development in the country.
The bill’s provision to make such contributions tax-deductible is a strategic move that could significantly increase private sector involvement in funding and nurturing homegrown athletic talent.
* * *
SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View via X app (formerly Twitter). Read current and past issues of this column at http://www.thephilbiznews.com
