Garcia: PSC has P1.5-B savings

THE PHILIPPINE Sports Commission has P1.5 billion in savings that the next board can use for the unfulfilled dream of building a national training center outside of Metro Manila.

Outgoing PSC Chair Richie Garcia assured that whoever will be appointed as his successor won’t have to worry about funds because they managed to earmark budget for the different infrastructure projects inside Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the national training center inside Clark in Pampanga.

Garcia, who is the longest-staying chair of the agency with a six-year tenure, said during his term they managed to raise the elite athletes’ pay to P80,000 a month. Training pool members receive P13,000 a month.

Athletes like hurdler Eric Cray get P43,000 a month plus another P40,000 when training abroad.

Garcia first served the PSC as commissioner in 1998 under President Joseph Estrada.