With the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) facing numerous concerns, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) stepped up and declared its readiness to spearhead the country's preparation for the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

PSC chairman William "Butch" Ramirez yesterday said that "with or without" the embattled Phisgoc, the agency will prepare for the biennial meet in following the instruction of President Duterte through Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

With Phisgoc chairman Alan Peter Cayetano stepping down from the Department of Foreign Affairs and lawmakers deciding to lodge the P5-billion budget under the account of the PSC, the chief organizing body is likely to operate without government funding.

### With or without the Phisgoc, the PSC can run the Southeast Asian Games together with the POC.

In fact, the salaries of its executives and employees for the month of January amounting to P7.2 million was drawn from the Philippine Olympic Committee, a move that reportedly didn't have the approval of the powerful POC executive council.

Then, it was found out that there was no board resolution and Memorandum of Agreement forged between Phisgoc and the POC, prompting Ramirez to declare that he will be "very cautious" in disbursing fund to the organizing body.

So far, the PSC had already taken the cudgels in the SEA Games preparation.

The agency, for one, had already taken over the processing of equipment requirements by various national sports associations. A score of NSA leaders attested to the efficiency of PSC employees, saying that the process is way faster compared to last year when Phisgoc was handling the processing of the requirements.

With time running out, Ramirez said they would step up to fast track the preparation — with or without the Phisgoc.

"I don't want to speculate, but with or without it (Phisgoc), the PSC can run the Southeast Asian Games together with the POC," Ramirez said at the sidelines of the first inter-agency meeting yesterday.

"But, of course, if the structure will be there, there won't be a problem. We're willing to work with them."

Based on Memorandum Circular 56 released by Medialdea late last month, the PSC and other government agencies should support Phisgoc in making the country's fourth hosting of the SEA Games a success.

But since the PSC was given the mandate to manage the SEA Games fund, Ramirez presided over an inter-agency meeting with representatives of various government agencies as well as Phisgoc COO Ramon Suzara and ranking executive Donaldo Caringal in attendance.

"It was very productive," Ramirez said, adding that he is empowered by the memorandum circular that emanated from President Duterte.

"I was compelled to follow the order of the memorandum circular emanating from the Office of the President through (the) Executive Secretary that an inter-agency (meeting) be converged."

"We agreed to meet regularly — not just every month, but maybe more. In the second quarter, everything is going to be fast. Our preparation will be in full swing."