MEDALS, BROKEN PROMISES, AND DENIED DISCOUNTS

Republic Act No. 10699: Enforce Athletes’ Rights, Expand Benefits, and Protect Their Retirement

*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM

Woman Grandmaster Janelle Mae Frayna has represented the Philippines across international chessboards. Yet in a social media post, she described repeatedly explaining to restaurants that national athletes are entitled to a discount. Some reportedly that they had received no memorandum. Nakakalungkot na matapos dalhin ang pangalan ng Pilipinas sa ibang bansa, kailangan pang ipaliwanag ng isang atleta ang kanyang karapatan and benepisyo sa sariling bayan. 

Behind an athlete’s identification card are years of extensive sacrifice, training, personal expenses, missed family occasions, and opportunities set aside. Hindi nakikita sa litrato ng tagumpay ang pagod, pangamba, at gastusing kailangang pagkasyahin. The public sees the medal. The athlete remembers what it took to earn it.

Republic Act No. 10699, the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, was enacted in 2015 to provide benefits for qualified national athletes and coaches. Section 4 grants a 20 percent discount on covered transportation services, hotels and other lodging establishments, restaurants, recreation centers, medicines, and sports equipment, and a minimum 20 percent discount on admission to cinemas, theaters, concert halls, and similar venues, for their actual and exclusive use or enjoyment. Nearly eleven years later, claiming these discounts should already be an ordinary transaction. Hindi ito personal na pabor ng negosyo. Karapatan ito ng kwalipikadong atleta at coach, alinsunod sa mga rekisito ng batas. 

Our sporting history reveals an even more painful gap between national pride and personal security.

Anthony Villanueva, the country’s first Olympic silver medalist in 1964, reportedly offered to sell his medal decades later to support his family. The Philippine Sports Commission subsequently approved a monthly pension in 2000. Isipin ang bigat ng pagpapasyang iyon: ang medalyang ipinagdiwang ng buong bayan, kailangan mong pakawalan upang maitawid ang pangangailangan sa tahanan. 

Onyok Velasco, the 1996 Olympic boxing silver medalist, also spoke about promised rewards that had not all materialized. He received ₱500,000 and the Order of Lapu-Lapu from the government in 2021. That recognition mattered. His experience underscores why commitments require clear accountability and timely delivery. 

May gamot na kailangang bilhin ngayon. May pamilyang kailangang pakainin ngayon. Hindi maaaring ipagpaliban ang kanilang pangangailangan hanggang sa susunod na parangal.

Three commitments should guide reform.

First, enforce existing discounts. The PSC, BIR, DTI, DILG, and local governments should coordinate a nationwide information and compliance campaign. Mayors and business permit offices should orient establishments, promote visible notices, and establish accessible complaint and referral channels. Businesses need practical guidance on eligibility, documentation, computation, and tax treatment.

Dapat alam ng cashier ang proseso, alam ng negosyo ang obligasyon, at alam ng atleta kung saan lalapit kapag tinanggihan ang isang lehitimong benepisyo.

Second, expand essential benefits. Congress should bring athlete protection closer to relevant senior citizen privileges, prioritizing VAT exemption on covered purchases and broader medical benefits. Senior citizens receive a VAT exemption on covered transactions that RA 10699 does not similarly grant to athletes. Necessary consultations, diagnostic examinations, and treatment should form part of the proposed expansion. 

Malaking bagay ang matitipid sa isang atletang pinagkakasya ang allowance. Kapag may pinsala o karamdaman, ang agarang gamutan ay mahalaga sa kanyang kalusugan, kabuhayan, at pagkakataong makabalik sa kompetisyon.

Third, establish a sustainably funded monthly pension. Section 6 already provides a qualifying retirement lump sum equivalent to 25 percent of total career cash incentives. Congress should build on this through a continuing pension with clear service, age, and disability requirements, including a pathway for qualified athletes from earlier generations. 

Hindi natatapos ang pangangailangan sa pagkain, gamot, at tahanan pagkatapos ng huling laban. Ang katawan ay tumatanda. Ang ilang pinsala ay nananatili. Dapat may maaasahang suporta habang naghahanda sila para sa panibagong yugto ng buhay.

To administer these protections, the PSC should maintain an official online registry with clear eligibility criteria and searchable verification or secure QR codes. Establishments could confirm entitlement while accessing only information necessary for verification. Mas madaling makukuha ang benepisyo, habang may proteksyon ang negosyo laban sa pekeng identification cards.

Funding should follow verified beneficiary numbers, assessed needs, and projected costs. The PSC should prepare the budget proposal, tax authorities should assess revenue implications, and regular audits should check payments and eligibility. Sa ganitong paraan, may batayan ang bawat paglalaan at pananagutan sa bawat paggastos.

This belongs in the broader demand for an accountable national budget. Every peso diverted through corruption reduces resources available for public needs, including athlete welfare. Budget insertions must face scrutiny over their purpose, beneficiaries, and delivery. Nakakasama ng loob kung may pondong napupunta sa pansariling interes habang ang atleta ay naghihintay ng tulong at ang pasilidad na kailangan niya ay napapabayaan.

Kung hinihingan natin ng disiplina at resulta ang ating mga atleta, dapat ganoon din ang pamantayan sa pamahalaan.

Reliable protection would give young athletes and their families greater confidence that years devoted to sports can lead to a future with dignity. Kasama sa paghubog ng susunod na kampeon ang katiyakang aalagaan natin siya matapos ang kanyang panahon sa kompetisyon.

Sana hindi na muling kailangang ipagbili ng isang atleta ang alaala ng kanyang tagumpay para lamang mabuhay. At sana ang mga kamay na pumapalakpak kapag siya ay nananalo ay naroon pa rin upang umalalay kapag siya ay nanghihina.

_________________________________________________________

Dear Reader,

I invite you to explore my complete collection of published books now available on Amazon. Whether you are seeking in-depth analysis, strategic insights, or engaging narratives, my catalog covers a range of essential topics designed to inform, inspire, and provoke thoughtful discussion.

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Warm regards,

Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

*About the author:

Dr. Rodolfo “John” Ortiz Teope is a distinguished Filipino academic, public intellectual, and advocate for civic education and public safety, whose work spans local academies and international security circles. With a career rooted in teaching, research, policy, and public engagement, he bridges theory and practice by making meaningful contributions to academic discourse, civic education, and public policy. Dr. Teope is widely respected for his critical scholarship in education, management, economics, doctrine development, and public safety; his grassroots involvement in government and non-government organizations; his influential media presence promoting democratic values and civic consciousness; and his ethical leadership grounded in Filipino nationalism and public service. As a true public intellectual, he exemplifies how research, advocacy, governance, and education can work together in pursuit of the nation’s moral and civic mission.

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SARA DUTERTE’S MOST HARDWORKING CAMPAIGNERS: HER ATTACKERS

*Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope, PhD, EdD, DM

In my book, How Not to Win an Election, I discuss how attacking an opponent can backfire. You intend to destroy someone’s credibility, yet end up providing publicity, generating sympathy, and strengthening supporters’ loyalty. Gusto mong pabagsakin, pero ikaw pala ang naglalagay ng hagdan. Ang masakit, ikaw pa ang hingal na hingal sa pagbubuhat.

This is the political danger I see in the relentless attacks against Vice President Sara Duterte. Her critics question her competence and accomplishments. But whenever scrutiny turns into a personal confrontation, attention can shift from what she has delivered to how she is being treated. Instead of explaining her performance, she gets another opportunity to explain why powerful people want her defeated.

Parang may sarili siyang advertising agency. Walang kontrata, walang talent fee, pero araw araw may bagong publicity. Ang pangalan? “Mga Kalaban Advertising Unlimited.”

Political psychology helps explain how this can happen. Taber and Lodge’s (2006) research on motivated skepticism found that people scrutinized arguments challenging their beliefs more critically while more readily accepting supportive arguments. Van Bavel and Pereira’s (2018) identity-based model explains how political belonging can shape the evaluation of information. Together, these perspectives suggest that committed supporters may experience criticism of a leader as a challenge to a group they personally identify with. Ang naririnig nila ay hindi lamang “may dapat siyang sagutin,” kundi “inaatake na naman ang atin.” 

Tormala and Petty (2002) also found that successfully resisting a persuasive challenge perceived as strong could increase confidence in an existing attitude. Meanwhile, Lau, Sigelman, and Rovner’s (2007) meta-analysis found that negative campaigning did not reliably produce electoral gains, even though negative messages tended to be memorable. These findings support a possible mechanism: attacks may harden existing loyalties without winning over the wider public. They do not establish that attacks caused Sara’s popularity or guarantee her victory. Baka ang inaakalang demolition job ay nagiging loyalty exercise, at ang kalaban pa ang masipag na facilitator. 

“Pero Doc, bakit si dating Vice President Jejomar Binay ay bumagsak matapos siyang banatan?”

Because political circumstances differ. Corruption controversies seriously damaged Binay’s presidential bid, alongside other campaign developments. His experience shows that allegations can hurt a candidate. It does not establish a formula that works against every politician. 

Binay had a substantial support base. Sara, however, carries a different political inheritance through her father, Rodrigo Duterte. My interpretation is that some supporters defend her partly because they identify with that legacy. This does not mean all Duterte supporters think alike, nor that Mindanao speaks with one voice. It means political attachment can extend beyond an individual official’s accomplishments.

We should also avoid confusing resilience with continuously rising popularity. SWS reported that Sara’s national net satisfaction rating declined between June and September 2026, while remaining particularly strong in Mindanao. The picture is more complicated than “the more she is attacked, the more popular she becomes.” 

The concern is that relentless confrontation may keep her supporters emotionally mobilized while leaving her record insufficiently examined. Sara remains the elected Vice President. Her spending, conduct, and accomplishments deserve scrutiny. Voters need a clear assessment of what she has delivered.

Instead, public discussion too often resembles basketball with endless technical fouls. Ang daming sumisipol, pero ang taumbayan, naghihintay pa rin kung kailan may maisu shoot na serbisyo.

Accountability must continue. Legitimate allegations require evidence, fair proceedings, and credible decisions. Popularity cannot establish innocence. Political hostility cannot establish guilt. Those standards should apply to everyone.

Meanwhile, the government has a country to serve.

Habang nagtitirahan ang mga kampo, may isang tatay sa palengke na paulit ulit binibilang ang barya. May isang nanay na nagsasabing busog na siya para sapat ang ulam sa mga anak. May estudyanteng nagsisikap matuto habang iniisip kung may pamasahe pa bukas.

For these families, a meaningful victory is being able to face tomorrow with a little less fear. Their needs deserve more government attention than the latest statement of a political rival.

This is where the Sustainable Development Goals must become practical commitments: quality education, food security, decent work, accessible health care, and institutions people can trust.

Hindi kailangang kabisado ng magulang ang bawat SDG. Ang kailangan niyang maramdaman ay natututo ang anak, may disenteng kabuhayan, may gamot kapag may sakit, at ligtas ang tahanan kapag umuulan.

Ayuda matters during hardship and emergencies. Families also deserve opportunities that make their security less dependent on the next distribution schedule. Assistance should connect them to sustainable livelihoods and essential services, while protecting those who continue to need support.

Public spending must produce concrete results. Flood control projects should protect communities. School budgets should improve learning. Hospital allocations should deliver treatment. Budget changes should have clear purposes, transparent records, and benefits citizens can verify.

Ang pondong bayan ay hindi dapat magic show. Nakita ang budget, narinig ang announcement, tapos ang proyekto ang biglang nawala.

Government earns credibility through completed work, honest spending, and fair enforcement, including consequences for wrongdoing within its own ranks. Hindi sapat na maipakitang mahina ang kalaban. Kailangang maramdaman ng mamamayan na mahusay ang pamahalaan.

Good governance cannot guarantee an election result. But it gives voters something substantial against which to judge political claims: their own experience of whether life is improving.

So let VP Sara do her thing. Let her speak, criticize, and explain her record. Whatever the impeachment outcome, its lawful consequences must take their course. Government must continue serving the people throughout that process.

My political assessment is that her attackers risk helping create the image of an inevitable winner in 2028, even while questions about concrete accomplishments remain unresolved. That image is no guarantee of victory. Yet unnecessary personal attacks can give her more attention and another opportunity to rally loyal supporters.

Baka pagdating ng kampanya, hindi na niya kailangang magpakilala. Ang mga kalaban na niya ang ilang taong nag roll call ng pangalan niya.

Let the evidence speak. Let institutions do their work. Give people accomplishments they can see in their schools, hospitals, workplaces, and homes.

Habang abala ang mga politiko sa pagbubuhat o pagpapabagsak ng pangalan ni Sara Duterte, ang taumbayan ay naghihintay pa rin na sila naman ang maiangat.

_________________________________________________________

Dear Reader,

I invite you to explore my complete collection of published books now available on Amazon. Whether you are seeking in-depth analysis, strategic insights, or engaging narratives, my catalog covers a range of essential topics designed to inform, inspire, and provoke thoughtful discussion.

You can browse all my current titles, read excerpts, and order your copies directly through my official Amazon Author Page: 

Click this Image to View:

Thank you for your continued support and interest in my work. If you enjoy any of the titles, leaving a review on Amazon would be greatly appreciated as it helps bring these ideas to a broader audience.

Warm regards,

Dr. Rodolfo John Ortiz Teope

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

*About the author:

Dr. Rodolfo “John” Ortiz Teope is a distinguished Filipino academic, public intellectual, and advocate for civic education and public safety, whose work spans local academies and international security circles. With a career rooted in teaching, research, policy, and public engagement, he bridges theory and practice by making meaningful contributions to academic discourse, civic education, and public policy. Dr. Teope is widely respected for his critical scholarship in education, management, economics, doctrine development, and public safety; his grassroots involvement in government and non-government organizations; his influential media presence promoting democratic values and civic consciousness; and his ethical leadership grounded in Filipino nationalism and public service. As a true public intellectual, he exemplifies how research, advocacy, governance, and education can work together in pursuit of the nation’s moral and civic mission.

VIEWS: 998K