The Philippine Sports Commission is committed to give the national athletes and coaches the financial assistance that is rightfully theirs.
PSC chairman William “Butch” Ramirez said this a few days after the board decided to cut the allowances of members of the national team in half next month.
“Kapag bumalik 'yan (remittance of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.), we are committed to give it to them. Our goal is to spend it for the athletes,” said Ramirez.
Ramirez talked about the reduction of the financial assistance that the PSC will impose next month during yesterday's first online video conference of the Philippine Sportswriters Association via Zoom.
The board lowered its assistance to athletes and coaches under the PSC's care after PAGCOR turned over a remittance of only P9 million this month, the lowest in years.
The agency will start remitting the reduced allowances to the national athletes and coach by July.
Ramirez said the cutbacks could take place until December.
Despite the plan to decrease the allowances, the PSC board noted that members of the national team remained upbeat and committed in their bid to prepare and train for major international competitions next year.
“We all got positive feedbacks. Physiologically and psychology, there is nothing negative,” added Ramirez.
Earlier this year, the PAGCOR remitted P150.75 million to the PSC on March 31, 2020 from funds that the PSC got from the the corporation's February earnings.
Ramirez explained that once the National Sports Development Fund reaches a comfortable level again, financial assistance will be restored to the usual rate.
