IN just half a year, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office has helped 137,768 beneficiaries from its medical assistance program, spending P2,842,144,673.84, which the agency expects to increase shortly, general manager Alexander Balutan said Wednesday.
“The increase of beneficiaries under the Individual Medical Assistance Program may be related to the people’s increased understanding of the role of Small Town Lottery in extending help to our countrymen,” Balutan said in a press statement.
Records of PCSO showed that from January to May, the PCSO generated P5.018 billion from the expanded STL, an increase of 173.38-percent from the P2.066 billion in the previous year, out of a total income of P20 billion from the sales of its various game products.
The P20 billion revenue this year is a 33.21-percent growth of the more than P15-billion sales recorded in the same period last year.
In 2016, the agency was able to help more than 300,000 indigent patients nationwide who sought out medical assistance from the PCSO, an increase of 27.7 percent from the number of beneficiaries in 2015, which came up to 249,751.
“The number of Filipinos receiving medical assistance from PCSO is significantly increasing day by day, and we expect more numbers of patients who will seek assistance from us,” he said.
Balutan said the PCSO would continue to expand the operations of STL to increase revenues from 92 AACs nationwide, which is also an increase from the initial 56 launched in January.
Apart from IMAP assistance, medicine and medical supplies, the agency also had medical and dental missions with 1,768 beneficiaries from April to June 15.
Records showed 2,868 outpatients were also registered as beneficiaries with an amount spent 63,609.48 from the months of April up to June 15.
Balutan said: “We are hoping that we can help more Filipinos in need of assistance this year.
“We are doing anything possible to increase our revenues by promoting our different responsible gaming products to the public, as 30 percent of its sales goes to charitable services of the agency, particularly medical assistance.”
