PAGCOR AID FOR SEA GAMES. Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chairperson Andrea Domingo (third from right) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez (third from left) pose with other officials during the turnover of the PHP842.5-million check to renovate sports venues for the 30th SEA Games at the PAGCOR office in Manila on Wednesday (June 26, 2019). The Philippines will host for the fourth time the SEA Games from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11 this year. (Photo courtesy of PSC)
MANILA -- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) on Wednesday turned over a check worth PHP842.5 million to the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for the renovation of facilities to be used for the hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games later this year.
Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo, together with president and chief operating officer Alfredo Lim and directors Reynaldo Concordia and Gabriel Claudio, led the turnover of the check to PSC chairman William Ramirez and executive director Merlita Ibay at the Pagcor Executive Office in Manila.
Among the facilities to be refurbished using Pagcor funds are track and football field and indoor Ninoy Aquino Stadium, both inside the 85-year-old Rizal Memorial Sports Complex (RMSC) in Manila and the Multi-Purpose Arena at the Philsports Complex in Pasig City.
“We are trying to give you as much (help) as we can,” Domingo said.
Ramirez, for his part, lauded Pagcor for helping in the renovation of the sports facilities for the SEA Games which the country will host for the fourth time from November 30 to December 11 this year.
“This is a good legacy of Pagcor that under your watch all three facilities will be rehabilitated at this level,” said Ramirez, who will serve as chef de mission for Team Philippines in the SEA Games.
Ramirez said the PHP842.5 million assistance is “very sentimental for PSC because those structure has never been rehabilitated in this way”.
“The aid given to us by Pagcor is priceless. The rehabilitation of the facilities for the SEA Games is an important contribution to Philippine sports as it will help improve the performance of our athletes and change the picture of local athletics,” he added.
The PHP842.5 million is separate from the monthly remittance of Pagcor to the PSC.
Pagcor is mandated by law to remit 5 percent of its income to the PSC to finance the country’s sports development programs. It also funds the Sports Benefits and Incentives Act, which provides monetary incentives to the athletes and coaches who win in international sports competitions.
Aside from RMSC and Philsports Complex, the world-class New Clark City sports complex in Capas, Tarlac will serve as venue of the SEA Games.
According to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, the New Clark City sports complex is almost ready as the main venue of SEA Games.
It has the 20,000-seater Athletics Stadium, 2,000-seater Aquatics Center, 1.4-kilometer Riverpark and athletes’ village.
At least 10,000 athletes from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam will compete in the 30th SEA Games.
The Philippines won the overall championship the last time it hosted SEA Games in 2005. The event was also held in the country in 1981 and 1991. (PNA)
