Solons pledge P20M to SEA Games coffers

The Congress, through youth and sports committee chairman Rep. Renato Unico and 15 other congressmen, has given the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee a boost with an initial pledge of P20 million to help cover the budgetary shortage for the country’s staging of the Southeast Asian Games late this year.

Unico announced the congressmen’s contribution to the Philsoc coffers in a meeting with Philsoc officials yesterday at the Sheraton Hotel.

Senators Lito Lapid, Richard Gordon and Alfredo Lim sent representatives in the meeting, and were expected to also raise funds in the Senate to augment the SEAG funds.

The Philsoc is said to be short of P300 million out of the budget of P1.2 billion needed for the staging of the biennial Games set Nov. 27-Dec. 5 featuring around 10,000 athletes and officials from 11 nations in the region.

But Unico hoped more congressmen would allocate a portion of their Priority Development Assistance Fund or "pork barrel," although most of them were busy in the impeachment hearing at the moment.

"The effort at least produced good results and we’re expecting more support from our congressmen in our next meeting," said Philsoc secretary general Steve Hontiveros.

Philsoc officials will next meet Department of Budget and Management acting secretary Mario Relampagos to discuss the release of the P20-million pledge of the congressmen.

The Philsoc will also meet with the Department of Tourism on its public-awareness drive for the country’s hosting of the games.

"We have to talk with the DBM now. What’s the use of the pledges, if we can’t use them," said Hontiveros.

Operating on a short budget with three months left before the opening of the games, Philsoc officials are hopeful the senators would take the cue from the congressmen.

"In our early discussions with the senators led by Sen. Lapid and Sen. Gordon, they promised to help. They seem to be really keen on helping and sent representatives to the meeting because they had more pressing matters to attend to," said Hontiveros.

Insofar as the preparation is concerned, Hontiveros said "time is running short but we’re confident we can catch up."

Hontiveros said they could overcome the budgetary problem and urged sports officials to focus insteand on the training of the national athletes.

"Maso-solve ang mga problema, kaya dapat ang focus natin sa mga atleta na," said Hontiveros.