MANILA, Philippines — Officials can only wish for a bigger government budget allocation for sports after Team Philippines’ historic run in the Tokyo Games and ahead of another Olympic cycle that will also involve the 2022 Asian Games and two Southeast Asian Games.
“Palagay ko dapat madagdagan,” said Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino in yesterday’s online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.
While gearing for another big performance in the next Olympics – the Paris Games in 2024, the Filipino athletes will figure in several international events including the Hanoi SEA Games, assuming it pushes through, and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China next year.
Add to that the 2023 SEA Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, which will be held in February instead of the middle or latter part of the year. Budget will be a bit tricky because of its February schedule.
“I-re-remind ko why meron SEA Games sa Cambodia 2023 that will be February, hindi aabutin 2022 budget year. Dapat isama na yun,” said Tolentino, a congressman from Tagaytay.
“So talagang bakbakan ulet, baka kulang P1.7 billion,” said Tolentino, referring to the most recent budget allocated by Congress to the Philippine Sports Commission.
“After this year, baka tataas ang pangangailangan because we understand, pandemic tayo, pero kawawa naman ang succeeding board of commissioners if from P1.7 bilion, maging P250 million ulet,” said PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez.
The PSC spent around P2.7 billion since the 2016 Rio Games, funding close to 100 athletes from 18 sports that tried to qualify to Tokyo.
The investment resulted to 19 qualifiers – the biggest in years – and a record-breaking performance marked by a historic Olympic gold by Hidilyn Diaz in weightlifting, a couple of silvers by boxers Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam and a bronze by another pug Eumir Marcial.
Tolentino also said it would help if the PSC is upgraded to a department.
“Dapat lang magkaroon ng Cabinet level, mas may say at mas magiging malakas tayo. Pag may department gaya ng ibang bansa sa buong mundo na may Ministry of Sports, mas-malaking tulong,” he said.