De Vega's family to receive cash incentive

Being a former national coach entitled the late Francisco "Tatang" De Vega to receive cash incentives from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). That is why the government sports agency has forwarded a letter to the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) endorsing De Vega and three other former coaches for the cash incentives. PSC commissioner Ricardo Garcia made the announcement that De Vega will finally receive his due. De Vega, however, died last Sunday. His case took some time to resolve, since the PSC needs to get an athlete's certification and his National Sports Association’s (NSAs) endorsement as proof that he coached a winning athlete in the Olympics, Asian Games or Southeast Asian Games. De Vega is the father of former Asia Sprint Queen Lydia De Vega-Mercado, who gave the Philippines numerous honors while competing in the SEAG and Asiad. De Vega’s family is set to receive P437,500 as incentive for the combined two gold and one silver medals won by De Vega-Mercado during the 1982 New Delhi and 1986 Seoul Asian Games, based on Republic Act 9064 or the Incentives Act. The De Vega family will also receive P30,000 as death benefits. The PSC’s move came after De Vega-Mercado certified that her father was her coach in the said games, which was later acknowledged by the Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association (PATAFA), the NSA for athletics. De Vega coached his daughter when she won the 100m sprint gold in New Delhi. But in the Seoul Asian Games, the elder De Vega coached the team along with Claro Pellosis. Thus, he will have to share the cash reward for the gold and silver won by De Vega-Mercado. Both De Vega and Pellosis will receive P125,000 and P62,500, respectively. De Vega-Mercado also won medals in the SEA Games in the '80s and '90s, but the Incentives Act only states that medalists from the 2001 SEAG and above will be given cash rewards. – JVP, KY, GMANews.TV