Several national sports association (NSA) leaders welcomed the Philippine Sports Commission's (PSC) pronouncement that it is ready to spearhead the creation of a SEA Games task force to fast-track the athletes' training and preparation for its hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

According to a prominent NSA executive, it is time for the PSC to step in as the country enters the final eight months of its preparation for the prestigious biennial meet set from 30 November to 15 December.

The source said the PSC has the money and, waiting for the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Phisgoc) to do the job will only delay the preparation for what was billed as the biggest, most extravagant SEA Games ever.

During the budget deliberation hearing last month, the bicameral committee lodged the SEA Games budget of P5 billion under the account of the PSC after Phisgoc chairman Alan Peter Cayetano resigned as Foreign Affairs Secretary in October last year.

The Phisgoc then was left with an empty war chest and has to rely on the PSC to finance its activities. It also depends on the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to pay for the salaries of its top executives.

Documents obtained by Daily Tribune show the Phisgoc receiving from POC president Ricky Vargas P7.2 million to cover the salary of its employees for January alone. Multiple sources claimed salary of top officials range from P300,000 to P350,000 a month, some of them receiving the rates in US dollars.

Although the Phisgoc managed to land sponsorship deals, it never made public the exact amount of the package it had.

"At the end of the day, Phisgoc will still seek the PSC for funding," said one of the Tribune sources.

"The PSC has the money. What's the use of Phisgoc if the PSC and POC can work hand in hand in organizing the Games? Having Phisgoc as a third-party organizer will only delay the process."

Last Friday, PSC chairman William "Butch" Ramirez blasted the snail-paced preparation for the country's hosting of the SEA Games.

Ramirez, who also handled the fund during the country's previous SEA Games hosting in 2005, said he will wait for a week or two and is ready to take the lead in drafting the program of activities to expedite the SEA Games buildup.

Then, he said he will sit down with SEA Games chief of mission Monsour del Rosario to start the formation of a SEA Games task force that will plot the criteria for the selection of athletes that will compete in 56 sports.

"Give me a week or two. If nothing happens, we will take start drafting our SEA Games activities," said Ramirez, adding that he is acting based on the instructions given by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to push through with the SEA Games.

"My boss here is the President. If they can't do anything about it, then we will take charge because I am under instruction by the President and the Executive Secretary."

Another NSA leader lauded Ramirez's move.

"It's really about time," he said.

"The SEA Games is just eight months away and nothing is happening with Phisgoc because it doesn't have the money. It is with the PSC. So, it's really about time for the PSC to take the initiative of leading the SEA Games preparation."

PSC insiders claimed that their SEA Games preparation will go full blast as soon as the fund has been transmitted by the Department of Budget and Management this month.