AS a result of the country’s unprecedented success in the Paris Olympic Games, Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard Bachmann shared two pieces of good news yesterday during the special edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
“First of all, I am happy to report that after talking with our legislators, the Philippine National Games, the Philippine National Para Games and Batang Pinoy National Games will soon be institutionalized,” he said at the PSC conference room.
“The other is that we were assured by our lawmakers that will receive five to seven times our present budget from Congress in 2025,” he added in the public sports program backed by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Smart/PLDT, MILO, and ArenaPlus, the leading sports entertainment in the Philippines.
Bachmann revealed that during a Congress hearing last Tuesday conducted by Rep. Mike Dy, who chairs the House Sports and Youth Development Committee, he was told by Dy, Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez and Batangas Rep. and swimming secretary general Eric Buhain that the bills institutionalizing the three major PSC programs were in the final stages of their approval.
“They (lawmakers) are just finalizing the details and we can expect these laws to either pass this year or early next year. This will assure definite funding for all three major programs of the PSC,” Bachmann said.
Due to the historic triumph of the Philippine Olympic contingent, with two golds courtesy of gymnast Carlos Edriel Yulo and a bronze each from boxers Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas, he said that “we can expect a much bigger budget several times bigger next year than our present one in 2024.”
The PSC’s initial proposed budget for 2025 was P725 million under the General Appropriations Act.
“Milestones were achieved. And to rate our performance (in Paris), I would give it a gold,” Bachmann said.
It was the best finish for the Philippines after 100 years of participation in the Olympics, and the entire nation rejoiced.
But Bachman, a former athlete himself, would rather refrain from saying “it’s good enough.”
After all the parades, motorcades, the long line of well-wishers and gift-giving, the PSC, the government’s funding arm in sports, is ready to buckle down to work.
“It’s time to go back to work. We look forward to continue to win in international events, intensify our grassroots and improve our sports facilities,” added Bachmann.
After returning from the 17th Paris Paralympic Games, where he will watch the six national standard-bearers vie for glory and honor, Bachmann said he would sit down with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chairman Alejandro Tengo and discuss how to augment the PSC’s resources further through Pagcor’s remittances to the National Sports Development Fund.
