The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) would be lobbying for a much bigger budget for 2025 with chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann citing the country’s landmark performance in the Paris Olympics as leverage.
Bachmann said the meeting with Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) officials will take place upon his arrival from the Paris Paralympics where six Filipino athletes are entered in four sports.
“I don’t want to talk about the numbers, but we will be getting a bigger budget for next year. If we were getting an average budget of P150 million then it is like five to six times more,” Bachmann said during a special Philippine Sporswriters Association Forum on Thursday, noting that an estimated P158 million was spent for the athletes’ participation in Olympic qualifiers and on the actual Olympics itself.
The Philippines brought home two gold medals and two bronzes from Paris with the two top finishes delivered by gymnast Carlos Yulo. Boxing’s Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas also accounted for a bronze each.
“That’s my meeting with PAGCOR when I get back from the Paralympics. We’re getting way more than what we usually receive.”
As this developed, the Supreme Court also ordered the PAGCOR to remit a portion of its income for PSC funding.
The 28 May decision — unanimous and penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen — was released by the SC on Thursday.
It was former Pampanga congressman Joseller “Yeng” Guiao who filed a petition that called for the PAGCOR, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and Office of the President to remit funds to the PSC under Republic Act No. 6847.
Guiao said the PSC should have been the recipient of the full 5 percent of PAGCOR’s gross income under Section 26 of RA 6847.
Meanwhile, Bachmann said the agency is also advising national sports associations with foreign coaches to impart their knowledge to local coaches to boost the country’s grassroots program.
Only boxing’s Don Abnett of Australia and rowing’s Shukrat Ganiev of Uzbekistan were the only foreign coaches who went to join their athletes in Paris.
“We’re discussing it with the NSAs (National Sports Associations). The collaboration is between PSC and the NSA,” Bachmann said.
“It will have more impact when we have a foreign coach teaching our local coaches. That’s the key, having our foreign coaches teach the local coaches so that they can also upgrade.”
By doing so, it will help local coaches improve the quality of talents in the countryside.
“I am hoping they can help out with our grassroots program. To pass the knowledge to our local coaches and when that happens, we will have an easier time to train our coaches in the different provinces.”
Also, Bachmann said the PSC is crafting memorandum of agreements (MoAs) with other sports agencies overseas in the hopes of improving the quality of local coaches.