The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office wants to focus its attention on deadly diseases other than the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), saying those afflicted also need immediate assistance from its charity funds.
At the resumption of the budget briefing in the House of Representatives on Friday, Aug. 27, PCSO officials also strongly appealed to Congress to unburden its charity funds of a number of tax impositions and mandatory contributions for non-health programs as they noted a sharp decrease in earnings due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Led by PCSO Chairman Anselmo Simeon Pinili and Asst. General Manager Dr. Larry Cedro, officials said the state-owned lottery firm believes that it should focus its charity fund to people suffering from non-COVID diseases.
“Masyado po tayo nag-focus sa COVID 19 pero sa NEDA report, nasabi na hindi COVID 19 ang (We focused too much on COVID 19 but in a NEDA report, it was disclosed that COVID 19 is not the number one cause of fatalities,” said lawyer Gay Albor during the PCSO presentation of programs and accomplishments.
She said there is a huge number of Filipinos needed urgent assistance for their “dialysis and chemotherapy treatments, for surgery and other medical needs”.
Albor revealed that PCSO finances have been adversely affected by the on-going pandemic which has resulted in the imposition of lockdown and other quarantine restrictions.
From an income of P44.02 billion in 2019, PCSO revenues dropped to P19.61 billion as of June 30, 2021. However, the lowest earnings in the past three years was registered in 2020 at P18.62 billion.
Target earnings for 2021 remains at P46 billion.
The PCSO proposed that the imposition of 20 percent documentary stamp tax (DST) be reduced to just 10 percent, in order for the firm to increase its charity funds.
Officials disclosed that as of August 2021, government received P3.21 billion in DST out of the P5.77 billion charity fund of the PCSO.
In fact the DST was over about P2 billion more PcSO’s allocation for medical assistance and serfvice program of only P888.32 million Albor said they are also seeking freedom from paying mandatory contributions for programs that are not related to health, which include sports development, dangerous drugs, national museum, higher educaiton and local government assistance.
“We have at least 17 special laws requiring funding support,” she said.
The PCSO is one of two gaming firms operated by government to raise funds for charity and other social programs. The other one is the Philippine Gaming Corporations.
Officials of the two state-owned firms explained to the House of Representatives their contributions to the national income as the chamber started budget hearings for expenditures in 2022.
“We appeal to the current Congress to kindly take time to review the mandatory contributions,” said Albor.