Vargas, Tolentino bare POC plans, eye more partnerships with government, private corporations

POC election committee officials Frank Elizalde (third from left) and lawyer Alberto Agra declare Ricky Vargas (right) and Rep. Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino (left) winners in Friday’s polls. —MARC ANTHONY REYES

Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas and chair Abraham Tolentino appeared before the House of Representatives Committee on Youth and Sports Tuesday in the hope of forging stronger partnerships with the government.

“We hope the partnerships we are building would be sustained and redound to a renewed commitment to sports excellence among our people,” said Vargas, who bared plans of ramping up grassroots development and athletes’ training and exposure.

Tolentino, a representative from the seventh district of Cavite, also presented their vision for a proactive POC as well as the preparations for the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

Vargas and Tolentino, along with POC secretary general Patrick Gregorio, deputy secretary general Karen Caballero and communications director Ed Picson, have also sat down with Philippine Sports Commission Chair Butch Ramirez as well as the SEA Games organizing committee headed by foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano.

House Majority floor leader Rodolfo Fariñas, committee chair Conrado Estrella III and more than a dozen members of the Youth and Sports Committee welcomed the POC, including representatives Chiqui Roa-Puno, Mikee Romero, Manny Lopez, Pia Cayetano, Eric Pineda and Mark Aeron Sambar.

The POC already has gained support from private corporations. The MVP group provided P20 million as seed money while the Ayala group and Cecilio K. Pedro of Lamoiyan Corporation have pledged support.