House OKs Tolentino's request for additional ₱650-M budget for PSC
The House of Representatives approved on Tuesday the request of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) for an additional P650 million for the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) 2022 budget from general appropriations.
POC President Bambol Tolentino, who is also Tagaytay City Representative, said the additional budget would mostly cover five major international tournaments necessary in sustaining the country’s successful showing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics: the Beijing Winter Olympics on Feb. 4 to 20, the Thailand Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) on March 10 to 20, The World Games (TWG) in Birmingham, Alabama on July 7 to 22, the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 10 to 25, and the Shantou Asian Youth Games on Dec. 20 to 28.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), through the National Expenditure Program, appropriated only P175 million for the PSC.
“With due respect to the DBM, we in the POC were not consulted—and again with due respect to the PSC—we were not also asked, as part of planning, on how much is needed to fund our athletes for these major international competitions,” Tolentino said in his manifestation.
“We are protecting and making sure that our qualified national athletes can compete in full force in those four major events that happen only once every four years, plus the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam where we are the defending overall champion.”
Based on the request, P5 million will be devoted for the training and participation of athletes for the Winter Olympics, P150 million for the AIMAG, P10 million for TWG, P270 million for the Asian Games, and P15 million for the Asian Youth Games.
“The total budget is a measly sum and this could be tapped from several sources... My concern is the budget needed by our athletes in these major competitions,” Tolentino said.
Tolentino added he is willing to put a provision that all cancelled competitions will be treated as savings and will be returned to the DBM or the National Treasury.
Both the Minority and Majority supported Tolentino’s manifestation for the additional budget for the PSC.
PSC Chairman William Ramirez and his chief of staff Mark Velasco also attended the hearing.