“He dominated various collegiate tournaments and started to make a name for himself as a future champion.

Life as an aspiring champion has never been easy for this young athlete.

He wakes up early everyday to train before walking few kilometers to attend school. As soon as school chores are done, he would take a rest to train again in the afternoon. He’s doing this for his love of family.

He knows that becoming a champion is his ticket out of poverty. Few years later, his dream has been realized.

At the Palarong Pambansa, major universities took notice of his talent, prompting them to give him an athletic scholarship knowing that his talent would merit him a slot in the Philippine national team.

He dominated various collegiate tournaments and started to make a name for himself as a future champion.

But there was a problem; the money being sent by his parents from the province and his allowance as a student-athlete were barely enough to cover his expenses in school, transportation, food and other necessities.

Even worse, he couldn’t even buy vitamins, milk, fruits and other supplements needed to become the champion that he’s been dreaming to become.

Fortunately, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is there to make sure that young athletes like him can turn their dreams into reality.

Based on Republic Act 6847, or the law that created the Philippine Sports Commission in 1990, Pagcor is mandated to remit five percent of its gross income to the government’s funding arm for sports.

This fund — known as the National Sports Development Fund — is the amount used by the PSC to finance its plans and programs for both grassroots and elite sports.

Through the Pagcor share, the PSC manages to send athletes to various training destinations abroad as well as major international competitions like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

It also enables the PSC to purchase training and competition uniforms, supplements, equipment and other supplies given to athletes.

More than that, this fund is where the monthly allowance, bonuses and other cash incentives given by the PSC to thousands of athletes and coaches are being source.

Pagcor, headed by Andrea Domingo, is the largest contributor to the PSC coffer after remitting a total of P13 billion from 1990 to 2017.

“In fact, starting 2015, the annual PSC share already exceeded P1 billion since the PSC share also increases as Pagcor’s gross gaming revenues increase. Currently, Pagcor is remitting an average of P120 million a month to the PSC,” the agency said in a statement.

“Thus, Pagcor’s total sports-related funding to date already amounts to more than P13.25 billion.”

This year, the PSC allotted 72 million for the country’s participation in the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta.

The amount, however, can soar to over a hundred-million as the athletes from more than 50 national sports associations would also have to go to various training sites abroad.

Next year could be even more challenging.

The country will be embarking on its first hosting of the SEA Games for the first time in 13 years and a huge amount of budget will be needed for the establishment of sports facilities, procurement of equipment and overall preparation of the athletes.

Pagcor is again expected to support the PSC by providing the financial muscle needed for such a massive endeavor.

On the same note, Pagcor’s remittance will be needed to keep the grassroots program, including the Philippine Sports Institute, running smoothly while providing a few millions more for the Sports Benefits and Incentives Act that already amounts to P225 million from 2002 to 2017.

Meanwhile, the young athlete blossomed into an Asian champion.

And he has the all-out support of Pagcor to thank for.

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