House to source out new funds

Rep. Renato Unico, chairman of the House Committee on Youth and Sports, yesterday said he’ll look into available savings from the government that can be allocated as funds to support the 2005 Southeast Asian Games the country is hosting from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.

Unico made the decision during the House committee hearing Wednesday even as the country’s top sports officials admitted operating on a shoe-string budget with only four months left before the country staged the biennial meet where close to 10,000 athletes from 11 nations will see action.

Unico said he’ll arrange meetings with the House appropriations committee and with the Senate body on sports development in a bid to raise funds and augment the SEAG budget.

"It will surely be a big help if the good congressman is able to do that," said Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee chairman Roberto Pagdanganan.

Rep. Monico Puentevella, a former sports commissioner who is a member of the House youth and sports committee, has a pending House resolution, requesting each of the 237 congressmen to allocate at least P1 million each from their Country- side Development Fund (CDF) to the SEAG funding. But there were fears that the solons might have all disbursed their funds to their various programs for their respective constituents.

Pagdanganan said they will also seek help from the Senate, particularly from Senators Lito Lapid, Pia Cayetano, Jinggoy Estrada and Richard Gordon who are members of the committee on games, amusements and sports.

According to Philsoc officials, funding support worth about P700 million has been raised with a little over P250 million being eyed from the government-owned corporations and financial institutions and the private sector.

During Wednesday’s hearing, heads of Philsoc, the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee updated the House sports panel on the preparations being undertaken for the biennial games.

"Preparations are in progress and we are confident of the country’s readiness to hold the Games efficiently and satisfactorily," said Pagdanganan, stressing the Games will proceed as scheduled.

POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. and PSC chairman William Ramirez shared Pagdanganan’s optimism, expressing satisfaction over the progress and quality of preparations being undertaken for the Games.