Hometown hero John ‘Rambo’ Chicano to get P200K incentive from SBMA

By HENRY EMPEÑO |

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — SEA Games gold medalist John Leerams “Rambo” Chicano will be getting more money for the honor he gained for the country in the ongoing sports festival.

Chicano, who won for the Philippines its first gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games last Sunday, Dec. 1, will receive a total of P200,000 in cash incentives from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), according to the agency’s chairman and administrator Wilma T. Eisma.

Eisma made the announcement following Chicano’s appearance in the SBMA head office last Thursday upon invitation from the agency’s board of directors.

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Gold medalist John “Rambo” Chicano (center) makes the SEA Games victory sign with SBMA Chairman Amy Eisma and SEA Games Subic Cluster manager Ramon Agregado 

“The SBMA Board will be awarding John Leerams Chicano P100,000 for each of his two gold medals,” Eisma announced on social media late Thursday.

“The cash incentive is a financial assistance given by the agency to home-grown talents who represent the country,” Eisma added.

Chicano, who hails from Olongapo City, started his athletic training in the Subic Bay Freeport and soon joined races held in Subic, a popular venue for triathlon and other road races.

He won his first SEA Games gold in men’s triathlon on Dec. 1 and followed it up with another top podium finish in the triathlon mixed relay race the following day.

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Chicano crosses the finish line for another Philippine gold in triathlon mixed relay on Dec. 2, as team mates Kim Mangrobang, Fernando Casares, and Claire Adorna jump in victory (Photo by Jonas Reyes)

With the P200 thousand SBMA incentive, Chicano will get at least P1.4 million for his two gold medals.

Under Republic Act 10699, gold medal winners in the SEA Games are entitled to receive a P300,000 incentive, while silver and bronze medalists get P150,000 and P60,000 respectively.

However, the Philippine Olympic Committee announced last month that it will double the money to be given out by the Philippine Sports Commission to winners of gold medals, thereby raising the cash award to P600,000.

More rewards at yet unspecified rates are reportedly coming from the House of Representatives, which passed a resolution on Wednesday to grant additional incentives to gold medalists in the Sea Games.

Congress reportedly aims to raise P10 million for this purpose, to be funded from deductions in the salaries of legislators in January nest year.

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