MVP pledges P20M to Olympic body

MANILA, Philippines — Before the voting even started, the man behind the MVP Sports Foundation walked inside the room to deliver a message.

Manny V. Pangilinan, the country’s No. 1 sports patron, had told newly elected POC president Ricky Vargas of a plan to put up a P20 million seed money for the local Olympic body.

“MVP (Pangilinan) said he’s going to give the POC a seed money of P20 million,” said Vargas.

Afer making the promise, and shaking a lot of hands, Pangilinan left the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club.

Then the elections took place.

“Actually before he (Pangilinan) left he told me that (seed money) then when I told him that we won he reiterated it,” said Vargas.

“He said, ‘Go, go,’” Vargas said.

When the money comes along, the POC will have something to work with even as the national sports associations (NSAs) continue to receive funding from the Philippine Sports Commission.

“I hope we use it properly,” said Vargas.

The POC office at Philsports Arena, according to the boxing chief, needs some redoing.

“There’s no other (POC) office that we know of. But we will make it nicer and more millennial,” he said.

Vargas celebrates his 66th birthday today with a new role of POC president, other than him being chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

“It’s a wonderful gift but also a big responsibility. I hope I am able to live up to the expectations of those who supported me specially the core group who believed n me and Bambol (Tolentino), and those who voted for us,” he said.