Hike in cash incentives for athletes, coaches proposed

City officials recently requested the Department of Education City Schools Division to Office–Baguio City for the increase of cash incentive awards to city athletes and coaches who garnered medals during the holding of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (CARAA) Sports Meet, Regional Academic Festival and other events with similar nature.

Under Resolution No. 295, series of 2023, local legislators stated that considering the approval of Local School Board (LSB) Resolution No. 5, series of 2018, there is a need to increase the cash incentives for CARAA, RAF, and other events with similar nature, to duly compensate the hard work of the athletes and coaches who have actively participated in such competitions.

The CARAA is an annual sports gathering that brings together student-athletes from different schools around the region to compete their way to represent the Cordillera in the Palarong Pambansa which is also an annual competition of athletes from different schools around the country who also excelled in their respective regional sports competitions.

For this year, the local government and the Department of Education City Schools Division of the city hosted the 2023 edition of the CARAA simultaneously with the first-ever holding of the Regional Academic Festival that is a non-sports academic-oriented regional tournament from April 29 to May 1, 2023.

The council pointed out that to give proper recognition to the sacrifices and dedication of the youth who have successfully earned medals from the CARAA and RAF, the LSB of the city in its Board Resolution No. 5, series of 2018, has appropriated funds from the Special Education Fund for the grant of cash incentives to winners of these competitions.

The body saw it wise for the education department to consider increasing the cash incentives and coaches who garnered medals during the recent competitions for the benefit of the athletes and the coaches to inspire and motivate those aspiring for more medal haul in higher levels of competition in the future. – Dexter A. See