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Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Peping: Philsoc, Palace provided Cebusoc P19.8M
By Frank C. Calapre
Sun.Star Correspondent
MANILA – The Cebu Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee received a total of P19.8 million from both the National Government and Philippine Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (Philsoc) for hosting six sports events in the 23rd SEA Games last Nov. 27 to Dec. 5.
The P19.8 million received by Cebusoc was on top of the P3 million allocated by the Cebu City Government in addition to the funds earned from merchandising and marketing.
Philsoc chief Jose “Peping” Cojuangco revealed this during the PSA Sports Awards last Saturday that the Cebusoc received another P9.8 million on top of the P10 million given by Malacañang.
Opening ceremonies and repairs
Cebusoc chairman Jonathan Guardo said that the P10 million given by the National Government was spent for the opening ceremonies and repair of the four venues used for the SEA Games, including the Cebu City Coliseum for pencak silat, University of San Carlos Gym for sepak-takraw, Waterfront Hotel Ballroom for dancesports, Mandaue City Coliseum for judo and karatedo and Danao City for mountainbike.
Cojuangco in his speech before the country’s top athletes, who recently won for the first time the overall title of the SEA Games, lambasted the Cebusoc and the Bacolod City Organizing Committee for being the loudest to complain that they were not yet paid by the Philsoc.
Public complaints
“Basoc, on top of the P45 million received directly from the National Government, also received P20.5 million from Philsoc-Manila, while Cebusoc on top of the P10 million received from the National Government also received P9.8 million from Philsoc-Manila. I did not want to bring this up but they are the only ones that are very vocal and publicly complaining and so I have to explain our side,” said Cojuangco at the PSA rites also attended by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as special guest at the Manila Pavilion Hotel.
Guardo, who was replaced by businessman Michell Lhuillier as head of the Cebu City Sports Commission, said that the P9.8 million given by the Philsoc-Manila was used to pay for the hotels and food for the foreign delegates and food for the thousand volunteers.
He said that Philsoc has yet to give the remaining P2 million balance to the Cebusoc.
The failure of the Philsoc to give the promised budget on time prompted several concessionaires and caterers to sue the Cebusoc, Guardo said.
“We have to be vocal because hotels and caterers threatened to sue us,” said Guardo.
The Philsoc and Philippine Sports Commissioner Richie Garcia promised Cebusoc to shoulder the expenses for the accommodation and food for the volunteers, said Guardo.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (January 17, 2006 issue)
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