PSC tapping private sector help for new fund scheme

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Sports Commission will seek the help of the private sector in its plan to prioritize support for elite athletes.

PSC chair Richie Garcia said the government agency will need private sponsors to support its plan of selecting 150 elite athletes and funding their training needs over the next two years.

Under the PSC plan, the athletes will receive a monthly stipend ranging from P30,000 to P50,000 apart from uniforms, equipment, billeting and international exposure to prepare them for the 2013 Southeast Asian Games to be hosted by Myanmar.

The Philippines brought home 36 gold, 56 silver and 77 bronze medals to finish a record-low sixth overall out of 11 competing countries in the last SEA Games in Indonesia.

“We have to get sponsors to sustain this program for the next two years,” said Garcia. “I believe we could win 60 to 70 gold medals more (in the SEA Games) with these priority athletes.”

The PSC has been receiving at least P40 million every month from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. but Garcia said the amount is not enough to fund the entire program.

Garcia said that medalists in the recent SEA Games in Indonesia would form the initial batch of favored athletes.

“We must focus our resources on this program,” said Garcia. “We must concentrate on sports where we can excel and have a better chance of producing a world champion or an Olympic medalist.”

The PSC czar added the proposed monthly allowances for the elite athletes should enable them to train full time.

“They will no longer be allowed to do other jobs outside of their real job as full-time athletes,” said Garcia.

After the Myanmar SEA Games, Garcia said most of the elite athletes will then be honed for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.