Estrada urges firms to help sports

President Joseph Estrada underscored the need for cooperation between the government and private sector "at a time when we have to make do with the meager resources at our disposal."

The President, represented by presidential son and San Juan Mayor Jinggoy Estrada, gave the remark during the 2000 Annual Sports Awards of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Thursday night at the Holiday Inn.

"Private sector financing will be most welcome at this stage of our economy, and we thank those entities who are putting in a part of their corporate budget to cover a shortfall in government funds," the Chief Executive said.

Jinggoy Estrada, who was introduced by PSA president Lito Tacujan, read the prepared speech of the President before sports awardees, led by Fil-American golfer Dorothy Joy Delasin, the PSA Athlete of the Year.

Mr. Estrada lauded the PSA for awarding citations, for the first time, to entities in recognition of their contribution to Philippine sports.

"We need more and more to rely on the private sector to increase greater interest and participation in sports and physical fitness," the President said.

He extolled Delasin, who came from halfway around the world, where she made a big impact on her rookie year in the US Ladies Professional Golf Association, to accept the highest accolade from the country’s oldest news organization.

The PSA presented 56 awards, eight of them major, including special citations to the seven founding members, who formed the PSA in 1949.
"I raise a challenge not only to our Filipino athletes, but all sectors of our country, to unite, more than ever before, and march as one towards a common vision, a common goal — that of improving the condition of the masses and promoting sports as a channel to rebuild ourselves, the community and the nation," he said.

"I appeal again to the Filipino people, from whatever persuasions, to bond together to weather the storm of adversity, rise together from the ashes, and, like the heroes we honor tonight and many more before and after them, to stand together and show the dignity, the courage and the heart to fight and win," he added.