Globe loads P100M into SEAG fund

This one should send strong signal to the other chief SEA Games backers.

Globe lived up to its name as the country’s leading telecommunications firm when it took the initiative to get the ball rolling, so to speak, for the Southeast Asian Games fund drive with a P100 million sponsorship during the contract-signing with officials of the Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee at the Le Soufle Restaurant at The Fort yesterday.

"Globe has always been committed to making great things possible for the Filipinos," said Gerardo Ablaza Jr., president and CEO of Globe Telecom after Philsoc made the firm the official wireless provider of the biennial event slated Nov. 27-Dec. 5 here.

"It is our honor to join Team Philippines in its quest for athletic excellence and we look forward to taking part in a celebration of sportsmanship and international camaraderie," added Ablaza, whose company has also committed a substantial amount to be utilized for the training of athletes preparing for the SEA Games wars.

Ablaza Jr. led the ceremonial turnover of the company’s P100 million sponsorship with Philsoc chair Roberto "Obet" Pagdanganan and vice chair Jose "Peping" Cojuangco receiving the amount, the first of three P100 million sponsorship packages — labeled as Gold agreement — sealed by Philsoc. The two others are Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) and the Lucio Tan Group of Companies.

"It was when Globe signed up as the first Gold sponsor that Philsoc’s plans has begun to take shape," Pagdanganan said.

A Gold marketing sponsorship agreement authorizes the corporate sponsor to maximize marketing potential of the coming SEA Games, including the Philsoc franchise to use the Games’ logo, official mascot for advertising and promotional purposes that include on-site activities.

That is outside of being the exclusive wireless telecom provider of the Games.

Other corporate sponsors expected to sign sponsorship deals are Yonex, Coca-Cola, Shakey’s Pizza, Jollibee, Unilab, Thunder and Air 21, which Pagdanganan said are altogether worth between P10 to P50 million.

To date, the Philsoc has raised a total amount of P637 million — P300 coming from President Arroyo through her social funds and the rest from corporate sponsorships. The SEA Games organizers are hopeful to meet their target of P1 billion in the next few months.

Unilab, a big pharmaceutical company, has earlier committed to support the Games through distribution of vitamins to the athletes, estimated to be about 18,000 tablets a day.

Globe is the first private corporation to heed Philsoc’s call for industry leaders and other members of the private sector to shoulder more than half of the funds needed to bankroll the staging of the 11-nation conclave.

"This is part of the Bayanihan concept, Globe is doing its patriotic obligation to the country. Hopefully, others will follow," said Cojuangco, who is also president of both the Philippine Olympic Committee and the national equestrian association.

Meanwhile, delegations from Singapore and Malaysia arrived yesterday and the rest — Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Myanmar, East Timor, Laos, Brunei and Cambodia — expected to hit town today for the SEA Games Federation Meeting slated April 29 at the Hyatt Hotel.

"It’s a welcome day tomorrow (today)," said Cojuangco, who is expected to succeed former POC president Celso Dayrit as head of the SEA Games Federation.

"Mr. (Celso) Dayrit will announce his resignation in the meeting on April 29," added Cojuangco. "And there will be another election which I think is just a formality."