PSC to cough up P600 M for Asian Games training

The Philippine Sports Commission is earmarking a warchest of P600 million next year for the training, foreign exposure and other needs of the Filipino athletes, some of whom will be doing battle in the Asian Games.

PSC chairman Butch Ramirez said unlike in the past, the agency will make known each national sports association’s annual budget with detailed programs and clear cut guidelines on government policies.

“Effective Jan. 1, we’ll be announcing their annual budgets amounting to P600 million with specific program and with very clear policy of the PSC. Why? Because we’d like the NSAs to work efficiently according to their plans,” he said.

“Who knows, for the first time with this kind of set-up, they’ll be able to perform better and work better and probably improve their overall performance in international setting,” he added.

Team Philippines is coming off what many sectors considered as a so-so outing in the Southeast Asian Games, where the Pinoy bets limped with 24 golds, 34 silvers and 63 bronzes for sixth overall.

But Ramirez sees better things ahead. Butch Ramirez

“This is my vision for 2018: We might be able to get medals; I can’t give any colors. But in the SEA Games (in 2019) we’ll be champions and in the Olympics (in 2020), we might be able to get a gold, it can be in judo, or weightlifting,” he said.

The PSC chief, meanwhile, reported that the agency went full-blast with its grassroots projects in 2017 to complement its support to elite athletes.

He said the PSC tapped almost 70 sports coordinators all over the country to help out in discovery of talents while collaborating with local government units for a series of consultation meetings, coaches’ education and children’s games, among others.

The PSC, he added, also partnered with the Commission on Higher Education and Department of Education to develop sports at the school level.

“In the area of grassroots, I think for one year, we have achieved a lot. If we can continue this impetus to 2018, it can be a very good picture of grassroots sports program and this is in keeping with the instruction of the President to bring sports to the periphery,” he said.