NAWALAN NG GANA? Atleta na taga Leyte, naglabas ng sama ng loob matapos nitong makatanggap lamang ng P3,000 para sa gintong medalya

An athlete who went viral on social media after receiving P3,000 after he won a gold medal for secondary boys’ long jump at Palarong Pambansa, finally ended his silence.

In a Facebook post, motivational speaker Rendon Labador reached out to Efosa John Paul Aguinaldo, 17, a resident of Leyte, who was a gold medalist during the Palarong Pambansa 2025.

According to Aguinaldo, he almost lost his motivation after knowing that he would only receive P3,000 for his achievements, while other athletes from other regions have received P200,000.

“Naiiyak nga ako. Sa ibang region, P200,000 nga bigay, tapos sakin P3,000 lang,” he said. “Sobrang pagod kaya ng training. Nawalan ako ng gana, pero nagpursigi parin ako manalo,” 

He also revealed that he was shoeless during his training.

According to the Palarong Pambansa Act of 2013, LGUs have the freedom to give incentives to their athletes who participate in Palarong Pambansa.

Labador couldn’t hide his disappointment after he discovered Aguinaldo’s situation.

“BACK TO BACK CHAMPION pala yung bata grabe to hindi man lang nasuportahan yung atleta na nagbigay parangal. Akala ko ba mga sir gusto ninyo mag sports ang kabataan? Bkit kaya ganon? Sa Calabarzon daw 260K binigay sa nag champion, sa Leyte 3K,” Labador said.