Posted January 25, 2005

Manila Bulletin - Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr., President of the Phil. Olympic Committe (POC), former Tarlac congressman and brother of ex-President Corazon Aquino has decided to go the extra mile in efforts to raise funds for the Filipino athletes seeing action this year's 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

"Hindi na maaaring umasa sa iba," said Cojuangco in his speech in Filipino. "Bawat isa sa atin ay may katungkulan at ang nararapat ay gawin natin ang ating katungkulan."

Last week, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo raised P150 million during a pledging session at Malacanang Palace, including P100 million from San Miguel Inc.

"The main concern for us in the monitoring team is to make sure na gamitin sa tamang paraan ang pera," said Carlos Tuason, a first cousin of the First Gentleman who has been named to head the monitoring team.

"This is private sector money and kailangan nating alagaan ang mga sponsors," said Tuason.

Posted February 8, 2005

Manila Bulletin - After fulfilling his vow of continued and aggressive support for Filipino athletes gearing up for the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo will meet today the national athletes as well as the coaches during a fellowship gathering at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Joining Arroyo in the fellowship meeting are Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Officer-In-Charge William Ramirez and PSC commisioners Leon Montemayor, Ambrosio de Luna and Michael Barredo.

"Commitment by government, as well as the private sector through the unwavering support of the First Gentleman, will not cease pouring into the training and preparation of national athletes for the SEA Games," said Ramirez.

According to Ramirez, the PSC and the First Gentleman's Foundation are doing their very best in looking over the welfare of national athletes and will exert all means available to keep them fully prepared against their foreign rivals.

"We are very thankful to the First Gentleman for his genuine concern for our athletes and local sports development, in general, added Ramirez, "The First Gentleman has been supportive of our athletes through and through and with his support, we aim to supplement our athletes' training and preparation to bring and win more honors and prestige for our flag and our country."

The Medalyang Ginto, May Laban Tayo! fund raising project initiated by the First Gentleman for Filipino athletes now has a whopping P150 million funding which came from the country's giant corporations and will be spent for the athletes' massive buildup for the 2005 SEA Games.

About 300 athletes endorsed by their respective national sports associations will now have their own corporate 'godfathers'. These 'godfathers' will help them finance their training, medical and nutritional supplements, psychological and physiological reinforcement, supplies and equipment, and increased international exposure prior to the 2005 Games.

Arroyo pushed his project as an added boost for the Filipino athletes' drive for 120 gold medals needed to grab the overall title of the biennial sports conclave.

"With unity in the local sporting community and with the support of all sectors of society, I can say I am confident we could pull that off," said Ramirez.

 

 

Posted February 18, 2005

Manila Bulletin - To ensure proper and effective fiscal control, a new set of guidelines will be imposed with regard to the releasing of funds generated during a pledging session initiated by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo last month in the run up for the South East Asian Games late this year.

Instead of getting the funds directly from their respective "godfathers," each national sports association will have to submit first its training program to a four-man SEAG Committee which has the sole authority to either approve or turn down requests for funding.

This came after the First Gentleman Foundation collaborated with Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) on how they can properly disburse the funds which has since snowballed to P160 million, P100 million coming from food and beverage giant San Miguel Corporation.

The four-man SEAG Training Committee is composed of training director Mike Keon from the PSC, Steve Hontiveros and Joey Romasanta of the POC and Butch Tuason of the FG Foundation.

FG Foundation executive director Tessa Mangahas furnished the Bulletin a copy of the guidelines and it was revealed that the NSAs can no longer go directly to the sports Godfathers for them to finance their athletes' training overseas.

In the event the committee approves the proposal, it will the papers to Tuason, who will then submit it to Arroyo, whose executive director at the FG, Tessa Mangahas, will then gather all the information needed before all checks are readied for pickup. All checks will be made payable to the POC.

The NSAs will then get the checks from the POC to "ensure proper fiscal control."

The NSAs are mandated to come up with a post-event report and liquidation of expenses with official receipts that will then be submitted to the FG Foundation.

As the First Gentleman had declared before, not even a single centavo will pass through the FG Foundation.

Some NSAs welcomed the establishment of the new set of guidelines with little reservation, though.

Bosing head Manny Lopez, said: "It looks tedious and circuitous but let's give him the benefit of the doubt. Bigyan natin ng chance. He's (Cojuangco) in a better position to decide. He means well."

Capt. Rey Jaylo of judo also believes the POC's decision to set up a new guideline will control the flow of funds.

"Hindi naman kasi puwedeng reckta na lang ng rekta," said Jaylo. "Imbes na approve ng approve ay dapat ma-kontrol din. We understand the situation of the godfathers."

"knowledgeable naman and POC on this matter," added Jaylo.

Apart from San Miguel, others who pledged their support were Globe, Smart, Ayala Land, Petron, WG&A, Fortune Tobaco, Philippine National Bank and Philam Life.