SEAG organizers seek more private support

MANILA,Philippines — The Philippine Southeast Asian Games  Organizing Committee (PHISGOC)is appealing for more private donations and sponsorships for the regional sports competition the country is hosting from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

“There are daily challenges, including the funding, but sponsors continue to come in. But definitely, we continue to appeal to the large Filipino corporations and businesses (for more funds),” Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, who chairs the committee, said over the weekend.

He said sponsors would get the value of their money “in terms of marketing and advertising, but support for the SEA Games is also something very much for the country.”

He recalled that the Senate had cut the proposed P7.5-billion state funding for the hosting of the Games by P2.5 billion “in the middle of the preparations.”

Cayetano said other challenges for his committee, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) include the live television coverage of sports events and information technology issues.

“We are committed to do live telecast. The IT solutions are there, it’s really just the funding for them,” he said.

He said the PSC has assured him that it is on top of the situation.

He noted that when it hosted the Games, Malaysia faced similar IT-related and technical problems that were eventually solved.

“Our hosting is very important to us because we want to show the best of the Philippines. The Asian Games are bigger than the SEA Games, so with the right people, people with experience, and with 9,000 volunteers, we expect everything will go well,” Cayetano stressed.

As for the claim of one service provider who filed a case in court, the Speaker said no temporary restraining order has been issued.

“From the start, we made it clear to them that procurement will be through public bidding since funding is government money,” said Cayetano.