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SEN. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Thursday said the Philippine
Sports Commission (PSC) “hit the mark” with its decision to cut
down on the number of athletes receiving monthly stipend from
government, calling the move “a step in the right direction” in
efforts to save precious funds.
But Escudero, the youthful senator who counts
shooting among his favorite sports, also called on sports leaders to
look for ways to maintain a strong pool of young talents who would
succeed today’s champions through the help of the private sector.
“We’ve been advocating self-sufficiency
among sports associations because we know there is not much
government money available for sports. The PSC has been spreading
its resources very thinly over the years but its recent move is a
step in the right direction,” Escudero said.
The PSC made a bold move recently when it
announced it will no longer provide for the allowances of athletes
belonging to the lower classes and those who have yet to win medals
in international competitions.
PSC Chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said
the money to be saved would be used to provide for greater
opportunities in training and more foreign exposures for Class A
athletes, for those who are currently champions in their respective
fields and for those at least having realistic chances of winning in
an international competition.
Ricardo “Richie” Garcia, the commissioner in
charge with national sports associations’ affairs, recently met
with sports association leaders to explain the move. The PSC
received wide support, except for a few groups which are keeping a
large number of athletes in their rosters.
Class A athletes used to receive only P8,000 in
monthly allowance from the government, aside from the P500 daily
food allowance allocated to them.
Ramirez said these would be increased to P10,000
monthly while the athletes’ food budget will also receive a
significant increase.
“What more can the athletes ask for?”
Escudero said. “Our stand, ever since, is to give the athletes the
best treatment we could give them. And with those savings, the PSC
can very well afford to give them a better deal.”
But while savings are expected from the cut in
the athletes’ roster, Escudero also asked the PSC and the
Philippine Olympic Committee to review their plan of reviving the
Batang Pinoy, a sports competition for the youth.
“I have nothing against the Batang Pinoy per
se, but we have so many identical tournaments. We have the Batang
Pinoy here and the Palarong Pambansa on the other. Maybe we could
just mold both tournaments into one major championship so we can
save more.” Escudero said.
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