PSC asks for extra P500M in funds for Tokyo Olympics, other sports events

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Sports Commission has requested an additional P500 million funding from government that it will use in the Tokyo Olympics, Hanoi Southeast Asian Games and other international competitions next year.

PSC executive director Guillermo Iroy said the extra money would be outside the P207 million the Department of Budget and Management had earlier earmarked to the agency, which will be used for the agency’s grassroots programs like the Batang Pinoy and Philippine National Games, employees salaries and maintenance and renovation.

“We’re optimistic that we will get help especially since 2021 will be a busy year for our national athletes,” said Iroy after Tuesday’s online Senate budget hearing attended by the PSC’s top officials including chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.

Aside from the Olympics and SEAG, the country is also seeing action in the ASEAN ParaGames in Hanoi, Paralympics in Tokyo, Asian Beach Games in Senya, China and the Asian Youth Games in Surabaya, Indonesia, all set in 2021.

There is a lingering sentiment that the Tokyo Games will be the country’s best chance of ending the country’s search for an elusive gold medal in the quadrennial event.

And Tokyo-bound athletes like gymnast Caloy Yulo, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena and boxers Eumir Marcial and Irish Magno would need all the help they can get to achieve the goal.

Meanwhile, Iroy said they are already waiting for the P387 million to be released from the DBM to pay what the government owed to suppliers when the country hosted the SEAG last year.