PSC awaits fund release for Palaro

Barely two weeks before the holding of the Palarong Pambansa, the Philippine Sports Commission yesterday said the Department of Budget and Management has yet to release the budget it needs to stage the annual community-based, multi-sports event in Bacolod City.

"So far, we don't have the budget although we expect to get it from the DBM anytime today," said PSC official Monico Puentevella, who arrived over the weekend from Australia where he, together with fellow commissioner Richie Garcia, supervised the Philippine team's campaign in the recent Pan-Pacific Games in Sydney.

Over P33 million, according to Puentevella, will be needed to help defray the food and travelling expenses of the 16 participating regions, aside from the individual allowances of the athletes to be used for their trainings for the games slated May 21-28.

The funding problem and lack of manpower prompted PSC chairman Carlos Tuason early this year to signify his intention to give back to the Bureau of Physical Education and School Sports the functions of the Palarong Pambansa after the staging of this year's games.

President Estrada, through Executive Order 81, turned over the power to conduct all sports, including the Palarong Pambansa but excluding the PE activities, to the PSC.

But the PSC has so far encountered technical problems in implementing the executive order because of the resistance it encountered from BPESS officials and regional directors who would be under the payroll of the PSC.

Although BPESS director Rolando Brillantes and key officials of the BPESS reluctantly agreed to be under a "new management," the PSC could not get the full cooperation of the regional offices whose officials wanted to be under the DECS payroll.