TAGUM CITY — I found it funny that some quarters in Philippine sports were in panic mode over news of a reenacted national budget as this week was to close.

For them, a reenacted budget spells disaster, especially with the country hosting the 30th Southeast Asian Games this year.

We know that we’re already in the point of no return. We host the Games, no matter what.

We know that the SEA Games Federation Council, the assembly of sports leaders from 11 countries in the region, is heavily counting on us. Cancelling the Games because we failed to pass the proposed national budget of P3.8 trillion is not an option.

In fact, the Council already met in Manila twice and is already under the impression that everything is running smoothly as far as the hosting is concerned.

At the same time, the mega-structure being built in Clark to serve as the main hub of the Games is already halfway done after the national government poured P9.5 billion to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority as part of its “Build, Build, Build” program.

So yes, withdrawing from our hosting chore is no longer an option.

As one ranking sports official said: “Kahiyaan na (It will be a shame to turn back).”

Fortunately, lawmakers passed the national budget on the 11th hour and it is now on the table of President Rodrigo Duterte for signature.

But had their fear happened and lawmakers decided to work on a re-enacted budget, would it effectively turn down the P7.5-billion budget for the SEA Games hosting? Would it mean our withdrawal from the SEA Games?

I don’t think so. The show still should go on had it happened.

I asked around and everybody was saying the budget of P7.5 billion proposed for the Games is way too much.

Deputy Speaker Prospero Pichay, the chess president aligned with former Philippine Olympic Committee boss Jose Cojuangco agrees. That’s why he called Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez last December to consult first before elevating the budget proposal before the Senate.

Ramirez believes that we can pull off a decent hosting even with a budget of P2.5-billion — or less than half of what the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) initially proposed.

I talked to Ramirez at the sidelines of the 2019 Batang Pinoy Mindanao leg here and he confirmed that they can pull off the hosting and make the country proud even with a limited budget.

He said had a deadlock among lawmakers happened and the government was forced to operate on a re-enacted budget for 2019, he would suggest the same budget used during the previous hosting of the Games in 2005 and factor in an inflation rate of 100 percent and the SEAG gets a go.

So, if we used P350 million for our previous hosting, the PSC would have been comfortable operating with P700 million, an amount that is way, way, way lower than the P7.5 billion Phisgoc is asking.

But would that be enough?

He thinks it is.

All we need to do is tighten our belts and be prudent in spending following government procurement and disbursement rules.

Instead of inviting international artist Bruno Mars for the opening act as it was tipped by the Phisgoc to be a massive party as big as the Super Bowl halftime show, local talents would also do.

Instead of staging the opening ceremonies at the Philippine Arena, our visitors can take a closer look at our good old Manila or maybe in another venue.

Instead of hiring the high-profile Spanish group that produced the opening ceremonies of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016, we can commission a local producer and make the program equally good.

There are a lot of reasonable ways to organize the biennial meet without breaking the bank.

We are in a third-world country and we can’t afford to eat expensive caviar for two weeks while seeing our countrymen die in hunger.

The show must go on, yes.

But please let’s make sure that it won’t come with a hefty price.

After all, excess doesn’t always equate to success.