By Kristel Satumbaga
The Philippine Sports Commission is hoping it could restore the athletes’ full allowances by the end of the year once it receives its usual funding from the government.
PSC chairman Butch Ramirez assured the athletes they are entitled to back pays after their allowances were cut into half due to economic crisis brought by the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the PSC is running on “little savings” after the government realigned most of their budget amounting to P1 billion to the pandemic cause.
“Pag pumasok ang pera, ibabalik naman namin yan because the money is intended for the athletes,” Ramirez said in the online Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
PSC’s remittances are usually sourced from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, but their budget also took a massive hit since casinos are closed due to the pandemic.
Philippine Olympic Committee President and Tagaytay City Congressman Bambol Tolentino said he included a provision to the Bayanihan Act 2 where athletes and coaches will be allocated P180 million to cover their reduced monthly stipends.
Ramirez welcomed this act, stressing the importance of working together for the athletes’ benefit especially in times of crisis.
He also said that they still continued prioritizing qualifiers to the Tokyo Games, signing checks to sustain foreign training of gymnast Carlos Yulo in Japan and EJ Obiena in Italy.
