SEAG in Philippines is a go, organizers insist

MANILA, Philippines — Amid persistent rumors and reports of a hosting takeover of the 30th Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine Sea Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) insists the biennial sports meet will push through in the Philippines from November 30 to December 11.

Talks of a possible hosting takeover by Indonesia come at the heels of issues regarding the budget for the games, in which PHISGOC's proposed P7.5 billion war chest has been trimmed by 33 percent. 

The current budget approved by Senate sits at P5 billion.

Despite this, PHISGOC Chairperson Alan Peter Cayetano branded the possibility of a SEAG hosting change as simply “fake news.”

"There is no doubt that we will continue and we will host the 30th Southeast Asian Games. Yung nagsasabing binabantayan tayo, ililipat, di matutuloy, hindi po totoo yun," Cayetano said in a press conference Saturday at a restaurant in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Cayetano acknowledged that the budget cut will cause problems and lamented the failure of Congress and the Senate in consulting the committee about it.

"Pagdating ng plenary ng Senate, duon nagkaroon ng question [sa budget], eh di naman kami inimbitahan as PHISGOC," Cayetano said.

"May pagkukulang talaga ang kongreso in not asking us directly saan tatanggalan yung budget, if they didn't want to give us P7.5 billion," he said.

Despite budget woes, Cayetano said PHISGOC is going all out to make sure the country’s hosting will go through smoothly.

"Even assuming, di sila magkasundo [sa budget], we will find a way to make sure tuloy ang games at hindi mabibitin. In the same way [that] we have found a way so far to pay for the salary of our employees. Kahit na to this day, wala pang official budget ang PHISGOC," he said.

"Pag sinabing para sa bayan ito, it's not just a moniker. We really mean it," Cayetano added.