AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF INCENTIVES GRANTED TO NATIONAL ATHLETES AND COACHES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

Sixteenth Congress
Third Regular Session

Begun and held in Metro Manila, on Monday, the twenty-seventh day of July, two thousand fifteen.

REPUBLIC ACT No. 10699

AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF INCENTIVES GRANTED TO NATIONAL ATHLETES AND COACHES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9064, ALSO KNOWN AS THE “NATIONAL ATHLETES, COACHES AND TRAINERS BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT OF 2001” OR “SPORTS BENEFITS AND INCENTIVES ACT OF 2001”

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippine Congress Assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the “National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act”.

SECTION 2. Statement of Policy. — The State promotes excellence in sports by looking after the welfare of national athletes and coaches competing for the country and by providing benefits and incentives for national athletes and other athletes who win in international sports competitions and bring honor and recognition to the country.

SECTION 3. Definition of Terms. — For purposes of this Act, the following terms shall be defined as follows:

SECTION 4. Benefits and Privileges for National Athletes and Coaches. – Any national athlete and coach, as defined herein and who is currently registered as such, shall be entitled to the following:

Such privately-owned establishments shall enjoy tax deductions equivalent to the discounts extended to the national athletes and coaches under paragraphs (a) and (b) hereof, subject to the rules and regulations to be issued by the Secretary of Finance, as recommended by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, within ninety (90) days upon the effectivity of this Act: Provided, That the failure of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to promulgate the rules” and regulations shall not prevent the implementation of aforementioned benefits.

SECTION 5. Scholarship Benefits for National Athletes. – A national athlete who wins in a regular major international sports competition shall be entitled to scholarship benefits in the form of full ^tuition fees from state colleges or universities for a college or university degree. The winning athlete shall likewise be given priority in the availment of state college or university scholarship grants.

Likewise, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) shall give priority to winning national athletes who seek scholarship grants and study under their programs subject to the CHED and TESDA regulations and policies and qualifications for all applicants.

Private colleges and universities shall likewise be encouraged to adopt a similar program in their institutions for winning national athletes.

SECTION 6. Retirement Benefits for National Athletes and Coaches. – Any national athlete and coach who wins in an international competition or has coached such winning national athlete shall receive a lump sum amount equivalent to twenty-five percent (25%) of his/her total cash incentives computed from the start of his/her active sports career as a member of the national training pool or national coaches training pool up to the last day of retirement from active competition or training as certified by the PSC. Such lump sum amount shall be released sixty (60) days from the filing of the retirement papers.

SECTION 7. Death Benefits. – Upon the death of any national athlete and coach, the primary beneficiaries shall be entitled to a lump sum benefit of thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) to cover for the funeral services: Provided, That if the athlete and coach has no primary beneficiaries, the secondary beneficiaries shall be entitled to said benefits.

For purposes of this Act, primary beneficiaries shall refer to the legitimate spouse, legitimate or illegitimate children. Secondary beneficiaries shall refer to the parents and, in their absence, to the brothers or sisters of such athlete and coach.

The benefits provided under this section shall be without prejudice to other similar benefits that may be received by the national athlete and coach from other sources.

SECTION 8. Cash Incentives for Athletes. — National athletes and other athletes who are not officially or currently members of the national training pool but who have otherwise represented the country in international sports competitions, who win gold, silver and bronze medals in international sports competitions shall be entitled to cash incentives in the following amounts:

SECTION 9. Cash Incentives for Coaches. — Coaches of national athletes shall also be entitled to cash incentives if they have personally trained and rendered service to the athletes or teams who win in international competitions at least six (6) months prior to the international competition. Certification to this effect by the individual athlete or team captain for team events shall be in writing, duly attested by their respective national sports associations (NSAs).

The incentives for the coaches shall be equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of the cash incentives for gold, silver and bronze medalists. In case of more than one (1) coach, the cash incentives shall be divided among themselves.

SECTION 10. Availment of Benefits and Privileges. – The abovementioned benefits and privileges shall be availed by national athletes and coaches upon presentation of a valid identification card, renewable every year, to be issued by the PSC: Provided, That national athletes and coaches shall not avail of said benefits and privileges under Section 4 of this Act in combination with similar benefits and privileges under other existing laws.

SECTION 11. Penalties. — (a) Any person violating the provisions of Section 4(a) and (b) of this Act shall suffer the following penalties:

SECTION 12. Funding. — The amount necessary for the implementation of the cash incentives and retirement benefits under this Act shall be taken from the net cash income of the PAGCOR, to be remitted directly as a special account to the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) of the PSC. This is in addition to the regular income share of the PSC pursuant to Republic Act No. 6847.

Provided, That any additional funding requirement necessary to implement the increase of cash incentives and retirement benefits of this Act shall be sourced from the fifty percent (50%) national government share in the gaming revenue of PAGCOR under Presidential Decree No. 1869, as amended.

A separate fund equivalent to not less than sixty percent (60%) of the existing NSDF shall be automatically set aside for the training and preparation of national athletes covered by this Act.

SECTION 13. Transitory Provision. — National athletes who have won and availed of the benefits and privileges -under Section 9 (Benefits, Privileges and Incentives for Past Achievers) of the repealed Republic Act No. 9064, otherwise known as the “National Athletes Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001” or “Sports Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001”, are considered to have fully claimed their cash incentives.

National athletes who have not availed of the cash incentives on the abovementioned provision shall claim within three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act, and thereafter would be construed as not eligible for the claim and have waived their rights.

SECTION 14. Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). — The PSC, in consultation with the POC, the NPC PHIL, the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Education (DepED), the CHED, the TESDA, the Department of Finance (DOF), the BIR, the PAGCOR, the PHILHEALTH, among others, and other concerned agencies shall promulgate and issue the IRR within sixty (60) days upon approval of this Act: Provided, That the failure of the PSC to promulgate the rules and regulations shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon its effectivity.

SECTION 15. Monitoring and Reportorial Requirements. – The PSC shall submit a report on the benefits, privileges and incentives granted under this Act to national athletes and coaches, to the DOF, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the PAGCOR, the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports, and the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports Development for the purpose of monitoring the implementation of this Act. The submission shall not he later than three (3) years from the effectivity of this Act and every three (3) years thereafter.

SECTION 16. Repealing Clause. – Republic Act No. 9064, otherwise known as the “National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001” or “Sports Benefits and Incentives Act of 2001”, is hereby repealed. All laws, presidential decrees, executive orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended or modified accordingly.

SECTION 17. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is declared unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act or any provision not affected shall remain in full force and effect.

SECTION 18. Effectivity Clause. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,

This Act which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2898 and House Bill No. 5912 was finally passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on September 21, 2015.

Approved: NOV 13 2015

(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
President of the Philippines