Athletes to break the nat’l record in sports will receive P1M, says AgSur guv
PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur -- Athletes of Agusan del Sur delegation playing at the Caraga Regional Athletic Games (CRAG) 2024 here who will break the best national record in sports events during the Palarong Pambansa in June 2024 will be rewarded with P1 million.
Gov. Santiago Barriga Cane Jr. announced this during the press conference at the Datu Lipus Makapandong Cultural Center on Sunday, which marked the opening of CRAG 2024, held at the nearby world-class Datu Lipus Makapandong Gov. DO Plaza Sports Complex, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
The reward is a bigger incentive the provincial government provides to home-grown athletes who will harvest gold medals in this year’s Palarong Pambansa with P10,000 reward for any sporting event.
The P10,000 reward for athletes is based on a Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial board) ordinance while the P1 million reward will be coming from pockets of Team Eddiebong, a political group of top provincial officials led by 2nd District Congressional Representative Adolph Edward “Eddiebong” Plaza.
“We will not settle for regional competitions as we aim higher to the national level even in the global stage,” said Cane, who once competed in the Palarong Pambansa track and field competitions.
The provincial government provided more than 250 customized medals for winning athletes of CRAG 2024 designed differently from the previous regional athletic meet in the past years.
According to the governor, the medals are more than enough for the athletes who will grab bronze, silver and gold medals.
When asked on the issue regarding the awarding of medals, Department of Education (DepEd) Caraga Regional Director Maria Ines Asuncion clarified that shortage of medals and award certificates that happened last year will no longer happen this time.
“I’m grateful that the provincial government of Agusan del Sur offers to produce the medals. This is the best CRAG hosting ever,” Asuncion said.
For the first time, student athletes will experience an Olympic atmosphere while competing at the main venue the Datu Lipus Makapandong Gov. DO Plaza Sports Complex, boasting facilities built to global standards.
The complex features an Olympic-size swimming pool, a 24-room hotel within the main grandstand, a fully air-conditioned covered court for basketball and volleyball, a tennis court, a rubberized track and field oval, and a football field with artificial grass. (Chris V. Panganiban, PPIO-Agusan del Sur/PIA-Agusan del Sur)
