Senate’s measly P28M PSC budget irks solon

Bacolod Representative Monico Puentevella yesterday said the P28 million proposed budget by the Department of Budget and Management for sports this year is an insult to the athletes who steered the Philippines to its first-ever overall championship in the Southeast Asian Games last December.

"It’s an insult," Puentevella told The STAR.

The Philippine Sports Commission initially proposed a P304 million budget this year but the DBM came up with just P28 million.

It was way short of the P250 million proposed by the House of Representatives in a bill passed recently as reward to the athletes who did the country proud by reigning supreme in 23rd SEA Games.

It was also way below the P104 million the Philippine Sports Commission received from the General Appropriations last year.

On Tuesday, the senators, however, weren’t as generous as the congressmen and even asked the PSC to draw some portion from the National Sports Development Fund to cover other expenses.

The sports agency received remittances amounting to P591 million, or some P38 million a month, last year from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and horse racing.

PSC chair William Ramirez said the DBM proposal would cover only the salaries of their employees, meaning the sports agency will have to source its funds from the NSDF. The NSDF normally funds the national athletes’ training and the PSC grassroots development program.

"We cannot question the Senate, we will try to make do with what the DBM gives us," said Ramirez, who left for Baguio last night to attend a two-day strategic planning session with the PSC staff.

Puentevella, a former sports commissioner, said he remains optimistic that they can convince the Senate to change its mind in the bicameral meetings starting next month.

"I do not see any obstacle, I’m sure all the senators will always reward and not insult the athletes," he added.

Puentevella stressed the need to pass the House’s proposal because the athletes have already started training for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar in December.

"I’m sure in the end they will give the athletes what’s due them, specially now that they are training for the Asian Games," he said.