HIDILYN Diaz stands to receive P5 million in incentives, at the very least, for her silver-medal victory in the Rio De Janeiro Olympics.

Diaz's incentive is guaranteed by Republic Act (RA) 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act that was approved by President Aquino just last year.

The law guaranteed bigger incentives for Filipino athletes who win medals in the Olympics, Asian Games, Southeast Asian Games and Paralympic Games.

Fortunately for Diaz, RA 10699 supplanted the old RA 9064 — the Sports Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001 — where the previous amount for silver medalist winners were only P2.5 million.

Incidentally, the bill that created that new incentives law for national athletes was sponsored in the Lowe House by former Pampanga representative and Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao and Davao Rep. Anthony del Rosario.

[See Diaz lifts PH gloom with historic silver medal in Rio]

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Diaz, however, is expected to receive more incentives not only from the government but from the private sector.

President Duterte is expected to increase the incentives, based on his gesture during the send-off at Malacanang where he increased the athletes' allowances from $1,000 to $3,000.

Endorsements, television guestings, and even a stint in showbiz could also come the way of Diaz, based on how the career path of Mansueto ‘Onyok’ Velasco following his silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

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