PSC to award 2026 Palaro medalists with cash incentives

AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines – For the first time ever, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) will award Palarong Pambansa medalists with cash incentives for their hard work.

In a video message played during the opening of the 66th Palarong Pambansa in Agusan del Sur on Sunday, May 24, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that podium finishers from both regular sports and para games will get to take home these rewards.

PSC chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio told Rappler that gold medalists will receive a prize of P5,000, while silver and bronze medalists will take home P3,000 and P2,000, respectively. This comes a month after he told the sports media that he had proposed a P10-million fund for the reward system.

The newly announced incentives count as another step towards Marcos’ directive to boost the national sports grassroots program.

Above all, though, it marks a historic first for young Filipino athletes who will now be recognized for their talents on the national level. Under Republic Act 10699, only national athletes who win medals from major international competitions, along with their coaches, are entitled to receive these perks.

For athletes competing in grassroots competitions like Palarong Pambansa, however, it’s usually their respective local government units that provide them with cash rewards for their medal hauls. For instance, the Department of Education (DepEd)-Davao Region and DepEd-Davao City Division are set to reward 2026 Palarong Pambansa gold medalists with a collective P40,000 prize, silver medalists with a collective P17,000, and bronze medalists with P13,000, Sunstar reported.

The 2026 Palarong Pambansa officially opened on May 24 and will finish on May 31. There are a total of 10,718 student-athletes from 18 regions — including the National Academy of Sports and the Philippine Schools Overseas — competing across various sports.

The 65th games held in Ilocos Norte saw the National Capital Region take home its 18th straight title as overall champion. – Rappler.com