By MARIO B. CASAYURAN
Administration Sen. Ralph G. Recto said yesterday that with the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) just 27 days away, Malacañang should "pull all stops" in the preparations for the biennial competition that would be watched by close to half billion people from 11 countries.
As chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, Recto urged President Arroyo to order the release of at least
R300 million to 18 cities and one town that would host the events from Nov. 27-Dec. 5.
"We can either showcase our strengths or show our unflattering side. We have to put our best foot forward, put on our Sunday shoes as 550 million people are watching us," Recto said.
"Kahiyaan na ito," he said, adding that the national government spending for the games should be viewed as part of its "tourism promotion expenses."
Aside from the R300 million from Malacañang, close to R200 million have come from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to prepare the venues of the SEAG.
The funds, according to Recto, could be sourced from the R37-billion "savings" the national government has so far realized this year by spending below the target.
The Department of Finance is studying the possibility of using it to "prepay some loans" in order to reduce the debt stock of the national government.
Recto proposed that a fraction of the R37 billion could be used "to save us from embarrassment of hosting a badly-managed athletic meet."
Another source, according to Recto, is the estimated R7.2-billion "road users tax" collection this year.
Under the law, proceeds of this tax, which is tucked in the annual registration fee of a vehicle, should be used to repair and improve road safety.
"Why not advance the share of these cities so that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) can start fixing the roads near the game venues?" Recto asked.
If the host local government units (LGUs) have received from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRAs), "then maybe now is the time to release them," he said.
While the national government has shouldered a substantial portion of the funds for hosting the games, most of the money, however, would be used for venue preparation, lodging, equipment, and expenses directly related to the holding of the games, he pointed out.
"But there are incidental expenses. You can’t just paint the stadium, for example. You need to repair the road from the airport to the hotels. When we speak of security, it’s not merely a question of deploying guards near a grandstand, for example. You have to secure malls because athletes will go there to shop," he explained.
"It takes a village to host a game. And these villages need government help," he said.
