Challenging problems at the PCSO
THE Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) which runs the highly popular lotto has one of the greatest potentials for raising funds needed by the government for its various – notably health – services for the poor.
In 2014, however, in its annual performance audit, the Governance Commission for Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GCG) said PCSO failed to deliver its commitments to aid Rural Health Units and Barangay Health Centers. It was unable to deliver nearly 500 ambulances to various towns , hospitals, and other health institutions in the country. It remained slow in processing requested financial assistance. It had revenue of P32.32 billion in 2014 but this was over P2-billion short of the target of P34.5 billion.
This is the situation facing the new PCSO chairman, former Cavite Gov. Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi who says a big part of the problem is the failure of the Small Town Lottery (STL) to contribute its expected share to the PCSO revenues.
It may be recalled that the STL was devised to end jueteng in the country. It would be the same numbers game popular among common folk, run along the same lines, with the same system of collectors (cabos) of small bets. But with one big difference – the income would go to the government for use in its charity services, instead of going to jueteng lords.
It didn’t turn out quite that way. A study showed that STL operators were mostly the same persons who used to run jueteng. Instead of remitting the income to the government, many simply failed to report the correct amounts. Thus jueteng remained in the countryside, albeit by the official name of Small Town Lottery.
Chairman Maliksi, with his vast experience in local government, knows this drain on resources that should go to the government must be plugged. This could be the biggest challenge to his new administration at the PCSO. It will take considerable strength of purpose, even diplomacy, to win the support and cooperation of former jueteng lords. The other problems that beset PCSO in 2014 with regards to its services should not be much of a problem for the new chairman.