THE Philippine Sports Commission has requested for a budget of P5.216 billion for 2023, a big part of the amount to be used for the Philippine Sports Training Center and athletes’ preparation and participation in international competitions.
PSC chairman Noli Eala presented the budget proposal to the Senate Committee on Finance on Monday.
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Eala said P4.9 billion will go to the capital outlay of the PSTC and the country’s participation in two major multisports events in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia and Asian Games in China, as well as the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, World Combat Games, World Beach Games, and the Asian Beach Games.
Eala said funding will also go to the training and participation in the Asean Para Games and Asian Para Games, grassroots programs in Batang Pinoy and the Philippine National Games, grassroots programs in the National Sports Development Council, research in sports science, and maintenance of the venues and facilities it operates.
PSC chairman Noli Eala is focusing on all sports levels, from grassroots to elite.
The budget proposal is a significant increase from the P1.309 billion in 2021, and P761.75 million it has so far spent in 2022.
The 2023 budget proposal is outside the National Sports Development Fund being received by the PSC from remittances from the likes of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and Philippine Racing Commission.
“If these request are not granted, we will have to use our National Sports Development Fund for these items which will also deplete most of our other programs including grassroots program. Malaking bagay kapag hindi naipasa sapagkat ‘yung aming commitments sa international competitions ay nakakasa na and we can’t back out from these competitions,” said Eala.
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