MANILA, Philippines – Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia welcomed renewed proposals to create a Department of Sports and build a national training center, saying they are in line with what current sports execs have been wishing all along.
“That’s the direction we want to go,” said Garcia in reaction to newly elected Party List Rep. Mikee Romero’s announcement he was pushing for the DOS.
As a full-fledged department, Garcia said the sports body will have more resources – financial and manpower – to perform its mandate.
“A commission has a limited scope in terms of work and funding. If it’s a department, you can maintain regional offices nationwide mandated to hold inter-barangay, inter-school, LGU tournaments and other grassroots programs and make way for wider talent identification. It will be more efficient if you have personnel who will focus on those,” he said.
He stressed a department gets bigger warchest than the P180-million the PSC is usually receiving from the national budget. Under the present setup, the PSC also draws funding from remittances from Pagcor, to be used for financing athletes’ training and trips.
“A department has its own budget. I just hope the DOS will have the same billion-peso budget like the other departments,” he said.
With the change in administration, Garcia and the current board may not necessarily see the PSC’s elevation into a department while in office.
“As of now, we’re waiting for the order from the President if we’ll stay. But we’re ready for any changes or whatever, we don’t have a problem at all (getting replaced),” he said.
“Our biggest frustration, if ever we leave, is we couldn’t get the PSC’s mandated 5 percent share from Pagcor and start the construction of a new training center. I’m confident these will come to fruition in the administration of President Duterte. Once we get funding and training I think we’re on the right track,” he added.