PSC: This year’s SEAG could cost more

DESPITE targeting a diminished size in the Burma (Myanmar) Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine participation could cost more than the previous one in Indonesia.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia yesterday said the sports-funding agency would be forced to look for P10 to P20 million more for the country’s delegation in the Dec. 11 to 22 tournament on top of the P30 million allocation from the government.

Garcia said the needed funding would cover the expenses of the 187 athletes and 61 officials that the PSC and the Philippine Olympic Committee are planning to send.

Two years ago in Indonesia, the PSC coughed up P80 million for the participation of 512 athletes and 140 officials in 42 sports.

“Going to Burma is [more] expensive than [going to] Indonesia,” said Garcia. “We’ll just find other sources of funds.”

Garcia explained that the delegation would fly to either Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur for a connecting flight to the former Burmese capital of Rangoon before taking another flight to Naypyidaw, the hub of the games.

According to Garcia, the expenditures will cover airfare, billeting and accommodation and allowances of both athletes and officials. He added the airfare alone could cost P100,000 each, a far cry from the P40,000-P45,000 round-trip ticket to Jakarta in 2011.

Garcia said he’s expecting the projected count of 187 athletes to go down when PSC and POC officials finalize the delegation in October.

“It’s too early to cut them off. All of these are just numbers which will be reduced depending on the justification of the athletes,” said Garcia. “But definitely, there will be a reduction. Cong. Peping (POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.) is very serious about it.”