PHILIPPINE Sports Commission Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez and Philippine Olympic Committee President Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino are scheduled to meet soon to discuss the PSC’s budget allotment in the government’s national budget for 2022.
“Chairman Butch and Cong. Bambol are meeting soon to discuss the budget request of the PSC when the congressional hearings for its budget for next year start,” a PSC insider told Malaya-Business Insight yesterday.
Ramirez had said that he would bat for a budget of P2 billion from Congress in the wake of the country’s most successful campaign in the Tokyo Olympic Games where national bets bannered by weightlifter Hidylin Diaz brought home one gold, two silvers and one bronze medal.
He said this amount is needed to sustain the country’s Olympic gains in the face of the fluctuating remittances of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to the PSC’s National Sports Development Fund, from which the agency draws its assistance to the athletes and coaches in the national pool.
The NSDF is also the source of funds for the country’s major international sports commitments such as the Olympics, Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games, among others.
Commissioner Ramon Fernandez said the Department of Budget and Management has earmarked P175 million for the PSC in 2022, which is barely enough for the PSC’s own needs as well as funding the national team’s training and participation in these events.
Through the help of legislators in both the House and Senate, the PSC was able to get around P800 million for its budget in 2021 that was used to largely fund the training, qualifying and participation of the Philippines in the last Tokyo Games involving some 100 athletes in 19 sports.
Tolentino, a House Deputy Speaker, was instrumental in the increased budget as well as securing an additional P300 million in the Bayanihan to Heal as One Acts 1 and 2 to restore the full stipends of coaches and athletes in the national pool in 2020.
Tolentino announced last Tuesday that the POC has approved 160 athletes who will compete in 21 sports in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games scheduled March 1 to 10 in Bangkok and Chonburi, Thailand next year.
The country is also set to field a team in the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games reportedly scheduled in May 2022 and the 19th Asian Games slated Sept. 10 to 25, 2022 in Hangzhou, China.
