PSC starts plotting budget allocation

With more than P1 billion in its war chest, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) vowed to come up with a careful analysis on how the funds will be allocated.

PSC chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann said he will sit down with sports commissioners Olivia “Bong” Coo, Edward Hayco, Walter Torres and Matthew “Fritz” Gaston and national sports association leaders at the end of the month to discuss how the fund will be allocated.

It is the first time for the government sports agency to be given an operating budget of more than P1 billion from the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

Sideliners believe that the massive boost in the PSC budget is in line with the administration of Bachmann, who was on top of the government funding arm for sports when Filipino athletes delivered a historic performance in the Paris Olympics last year.

Aside from that coming from the GAA, the PSC also stands to receive more from the National Sports Development Fund (NSDF), the monies coming from the remittances of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor), Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and other government-owned and controlled corporations.

Reports have it that with the ruling of the Supreme Court ordering the Pagcor and PCSO to remit the PSC’s full 5 percent share of its gross annual income, the government sports agency is expected to receive an additional P5 billion in its NSDF, or the fund that is being used to finance to training and participation of the national athletes in major international competitions like the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games and the Olympics.

“Once we get all the final budget, then we will actually plug into our matrix. My commissioners are already scheduling meetings with all these NSAs,” Bachmann said.

“Then they will actually give their programs for this coming year. By the end of this month, we also have a strategic planning session with all the heads of all our departments so that the PSC is ready for 2025.”

The PSC is facing yet another busy year.

In fact, the country is set to host major international events such as the Asian Juniors Artistic Gymnastics Championships from 12 to 21 July as well as the first FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup from 21 November to 7 December.

Local events such as the Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games are also in the calendar for 2025 on top of the construction of dormitories and sports facilities that the PSC is working on for the benefit of the national athletes.

But the biggest event for this year will be the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand from 9 to 20 December.

With a haul of 58 gold, 86 silver and 117 bronze medals in the previous edition of the SEA Games in Cambodia, the Philippines is expected to open its wallet to make sure that Team Philippines will surpass its fifth-place finish in the overall tally.