From left to right: Tingog Party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Olympic gymnast Carlos Yulo. (Speaker’s office)

The House of Representatives approved on second reading on Wednesday, Aug. 14 the bill that sought tax exemptions for donations given to national athletes competing in international sports competitions. 

This was on the day that the highest-profile beneficiary of the would-be law--two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo--went to the chamber to be feted by its ecstatic members. 

The measure--House Bill (HB) No.421--was adopted by congressmen via simple voice vote during House plenary session Wednesday afternoon. This paves the way for the bill's passage on third and final reading next week. 

Name it after Caloy 

HB No.421--authored by Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda-- was also filed and approved in the 18th Congress as the “Hidilyn Diaz Law” but failed to gain approval in the Senate. 

Salceda, chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means,  says the measure should also be named in honor of Yulo, the country’s first Olympian to score two consecutive gold medals. Yulo, 24, achieved this feat in the just-concluded 2024 Paris Olympics, specifically in artistic gymnastics. 

Diaz, a weightlifter, was the first ever Filipino Olympic gold medal winner. She earned the distinction in the 2021 Tokyo games. 

“A 12-year-old Carlos Yulo once gave an interview where he said that his dream was to win a gold medal for the Philippines in the Olympics. It took him more than a decade to reach that goal in the grandest manner possible,” Salceda said. 

“What that teaches us is that the prize is never won on the day of the competition itself, but years before. Hard work, determination, and sheer grit through many years of training wins over talent,” he added. 

'Incentivize the preparation' 

The Bciolano said the bill exempts not just the prizes that are handed out by brands and companies after the win. "Its most important provision is that it exempts donations towards their training one year before the competition.” 

“It follows the philosophy I have espoused as Governor of Albay: rescue is a bad word, because there is no need for rescue when all preparations have been made. Capacity is everything. The approach is to incentivize not the prize, but the preparation. Champions are not made overnight," he explained. 

Yulo received cash incentives worth over P14 million from House members led by Speaker Martin Romualdez on Wednesday. This was on top of his non-monetary honors. 

Salceda said the committee also approved making the exemption retroactive to Jan. 1, 2024. 

Apart from exempting donations one year prior to the date of competition, the veteran solon also proposed that donations through the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) or the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) be made exempt from donations regardless of time.