SEAG-bound bets get P1.2M assistance

"Friday the 13th" turned out to be a lucky day for the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and a number of athletes bound for the 25th Southeast Asian Games in Laos. The day saw the Philippine Construction Association, Inc. (PCA) turning over donation amounting to P1,223,800 to help the POC’s fund-raising drive to support additional athletes it intends to send to the December 9-18 SEA Games.

The turnover highlighted the Construction Industry Night held at the SMX Convention Center inside the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City last Friday. “Blessing in disguise ang kakapusan natin ng pera dahil dito natin nakikita talaga kung paano mag-react itong mga kababayan natin at talagang nakakasaya ng loob," said POC president Jose Cojuangco who personally received the cash donations in dollars and peso from PCA president Tito Fernandez and Board Director/sportsman Felizardo Sevilla, Jr. Sevilla, a horseowner who also served as commissioner of the Philippine Racing Commission (Philracom) and is currently president of the junior bowling association, spearheaded the fund-raising campaign among the PCA members. “We know the current situation and we at PCA would want to help develop our athletes. Right now we only have one sports hero in Manny Pacquiao. But that is not enough and we have to create more heroes and we want to help in that aspect," explained Sevilla. The POC has approved 251 athletes for the RP team to the Laos Games but the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) has maintained that the government will only support the trip of 153 athletes (the gold and silver medalists of past SEA Games). “These athletes are spending their best years of their life training hard to give the country pride and honor. By contributing to help them be able to compete in Laos, you have given them recognition and appreciation for what they are doing for flag and country," Cojuangco told the PCA members. The POC needs to raise a total of P6.86 million to finance the stints of the additional 98 athletes in the RP team and Cojuangco is confident that more corporations will be chipping in the coming days. “I have also talked with five other corporations who are also going to chip in. I think we’ll be okay, lalo nga’t may mga nagbibigay na ng ganito. Ang mga nakausap ko ay hindi na siguro aatras," said Cojuangco, who was joined in by athletes from track and field in accepting the donation. The PCA’s contribution will benefit around 18 SEAG-bound athletes, based on the estimated expenses of P70,000 per head. - GMANews.TV