Cayetano expresses dismay over slashed SEAG budget
PHILIPPINE Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee ( PHISGOC) Chairman Alan Peter Cayetano expressed his disappointment over the Senate’s slashing of the initial P7.5 billion SEA Games hosting budget to P5 billion.
Cayetano explained that reducing the original budget by 33 percent means it would be hard to meet the required international standards for hosting the biennial meet from November 30 to December 11 in
Clark, Pampanga,
Subic, Batangas,
Tagaytay, La Union and Manila.
“If they only removed 10 or 20 percent, it’s just a matter of scaling down, but with 33 percent, it’s very hard,” said Cayetano, who was joined by PHISGOC vice co-chairman and Philippine Sports Commission Chairman William Ramirez during a news conference on Wednesday at the Kalayaan Hall of SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Secretary-General Patrick Gregorio represented POC President Ricky Vargas that is also the PHISGOC vice co-chairman in the event.
The PHISGOC originally submitted last year a P9 billion proposed budget but the Department of Budget and Management only approved a P7.5 billion budget. The House of Representatives approved the said amount but the Senate eventually decided that it must be reduced to P5 billion.
“We always talk about sports, sports, sports. If there’s a hearing, they invite the POC, PSC and NSAs (national sports associations) asking them why we do not win any medals, but then when it comes to putting your money where your mouth is, it goes the opposite way, the money is diverted,” Cayetano lamented.
He said that the purpose of hosting the SEA Games is to show our neighbors the best things about the Philippines.
“As a Filipino, I won’t allow us to