PCSO released P3B for Covid-19 crisis
THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Friday announced it had released an estimated P3 billion worth of aid in fighting the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).
General Manager Royina Garma said the PCSO Board of Directors approved last March P420 million, which was turned over to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. to help cover the cost of hospitalization for Covid-19 patients.
It was followed by the approval of P447 million as financial assistance to 82 government hospitals nationwide, which would also be utilized for testing kits, reagents, medical or diagnostic equipment, confinement, medicines, laboratory or diagnostic procedures, and personal protective equipment.
The PCSO released in advance its dividend payment amounting to P2.2 billion to the Department of Finance so that it may be used by the government in fighting Covid-19, Garma explained.
The office also recently released medical aid amounting to P6.2 million for 867 eligible indigent beneficiaries.
Another P4.2 million was released to add daily fund allocation to the Lung Center of the Philippines, Philippine Heart Center, Philippine General Hospital, Rizal Medical Center and Taguig Pateros District Hospital, Garma said.
The PCSO also distributed food packs, alcohol, disinfecting solutions and masks to some units of the Philippine National Police in Manila and in Davao.
The PCSO chief bared that the agency lent one of its shuttle services to ferry frontliners along the route of Ortigas Avenue.
“It’s crucial that we all work together with other government agencies to help minimize the negative impact of the pandemic on health systems, social services as well as economic activities,” Garma said in a statement.
Despite having no revenue for more than two months, the PCSO would not stop giving its best to give aid to the government and the public, she added.
“That is why when this is all over, I am calling on the public to donate to PCSO by continuously playing lotto, STL ( small town lottery), Keno, sweepstakes [ and] Scratch- it games,” she continued.