Mayor benjamin Magalong has ratified a city council resolution requesting the Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division Office-Baguio City for an increase in cash incentive awards to Baguio City athletes and coaches who garnered medals during the holding of the Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association (Caraa) meet, Regional Academic Festival (RAF) and other sports events.

The Caraa meet is an annual regional sports gathering that brings together student-athletes from different schools to compete for their right to represent the region in the Palarong Pambansa (National Games).

“As a grassroots and schoolbased sports program for the youth, the holding of the Caraa requires student-athletes’ proper conditioning through rigorous training with their respective coaches while juggling their academic requirements and to overcome the pre-qualifying division meet to be able to join the Caraa,” the resolution stated.

It said the city government of Baguio together with the DepEd Schools Division Office-Baguio City hosted the 2P23 edition of the Caraa simultaneously with the first-ever holding of the RAF, which caters to non-sports and academics-oriented regional tournaments.

To give proper recognition to the sacrifices and dedication of the youth who have successfully earned medals from the Caraa and RAF, the local school board of Baguio City in a 2018 resolution appropriated funds from the special education fund for the grant of cash incentives to winners.

Considering the approval of this resolution, there is a need to increase the cash incentives for Caraa, RAF and other events of similar nature to duly compensate for the hard work of the athletes and coaches, the latest resolution also stated.