UNPRECEDENTED cash incentines and brand-new top of the line mobile phones will be given to each of the 24 medalists—seven of them gold—in the recent Third Asian Youth Games in Manama.

“Bahrain was a success, we didn’t expect to get these many, the target was three golds and we got seven,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolenino during the special recognition to the members of Team Philippines on Monday at the East Ocean Palace Restaurant in Parañaque City.

To the surprise of the medalists and their coaches and some parents, Philippine Sports Commission chairman John “Pató” Patrick announced that the PSC board—commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Walter Torres, Eduardo Jayco and Fritz Gaston—approved of a P500,000 cash incentive for the gold medalists, P300,000 for the silver medalists and P100,000 for the bronze medalists.

And there are more as Tolentino said that the POC would give P250,000 for the gold medalists, P150,000 for the silver winners and P75,000 for the bronze medalists.

It was a surprise for the medalists who weren’t expected bonuses because the policy under the Athletes and Coaches Incentives Act financially rewards elite or senior athletes for their medals earned overseas.

The announcement drew a big round of applause from the athletes, who became even more cheerful when Tolentino added another bonus from POC sponsor Sportsplus PH—an iPhone 17 Pro Max for each of the seven gold medalists and an iPhone 17 for the silver and bronze medalists.

Another defeaning round of applause for the presentation which translated into a celebration as the athletes, aged 18 and under, to the Bahrain edition surpassed the two gold medals won in the previous edition in Nanjing.

“They are all deserving to receive some incentives and we really focused on them,” Gregorio said. “We all know that this is the right pathway so we must hold on and focus until 2028.”

The Philippines wound up 12^th in the medals race on a 7-7-10 gold-silver-bronze tally, with China on top with a 63-49-35 tally, followed by Uzbekistan with 37-16-28 and Kazakhstan with 24-29-40.

The gold medalists were Pencak Silat’s Kram Airam Carpio, MMA’s Charlie Ratcliff, Lyre Anie Ngina, Zeth Gabriel Bueno and the mixed team of Jan Brix Ramiscal and Tyron Jamborillo, athletics’ Pi Wurden Wangkay and jiu-jitsu’s Isabella Butler, who missed the celebration as she flew directly to the US from Manama.

The silver medalists were MMA’s Travis Ratcliff, athletics’ Naomi Cesar, Muay’s Jasmine Dagame and Jan Brix Ramiscal, taekwondo’s Kristen Aguila, swimming’s Jamesray Ajido and weightlifting’s Jhodie Peralta.

The bronze winners were Crystal Carino and Nicole Tabucol of Teqball, Alexander Tagure Jr of MMA modern, Iyeshia Blair Bituin of Muay, Aeden Roffer Cereño of taekwondo, Alexandra Ann Diaz, Jhodie Peralta, and Jay-R Colonia of weightlifting, Leo Mhar Lobrido of boxing and Maria Alexandria Sarinas of jiu jitsu.