CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Transparency will now be paramount at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to gain the people’s trust and confidence and end corruption.
This was the message of PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan in Mindanao recently reiterating that the agency will make all its sales and accomplishments transparent.
“Gusto kong makita ninyo kung ano ang kinikita ng PCSO, kung saan niya ginagastos, anong proyekto, ilan ang benefi ciaries na natulungan niya, at ‘yung mga ambulansya na nai-distribute. Sabi ko nga, kung ganito lahat ng ahensya, mababawasan ang corruption dito sa Pilipinas,” said Balutan during the program orientation and coordination conference for PCSO’s I-Hope Program recently in Sultan Kudarat.
The I-Hope (Integrate Health for Overall Productivity and Empowerment) program was conceived in an effort to achieve Strategic Measure under the Performance Agreement Negotiation (PAN) with the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG).
The program aims to implement responsible and efficient fund provision for health and charitable programs of the government and to provide access to charity services identified by the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).
Last year, Maguindanao, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, and Saranggani provinces became beneficiaries of this program.
For this year, PCSO has identifi ed Sultan Kudarat, Biliran, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi to receive P50 million each for the equipment upgrade.
Before assuming his position as general manager in 2016, Balutan said there are only 50 PCSO branches and 18 Small Town Lottery (STL) players nationwide.
At present, there are 63 PCSO branches, 87 partner- hospitals through the At-Source-Ang-Processing (ASAP) Desks, and 84 STL players.
No color “I see to it that every quarter, I report to the Filipino people kung ano ‘yung kinikita ng PCSO. So that our gaming public, especially ‘yung sineserbisyuhan natin magkaroon ng tiwala, ng confi dence sa ating gobyerno, kasi ngayon, wala nang dilawan, wala nang kulay. Mapa-puti, mapa-itim ka diyan, blue, ano mang kulay diyan, seserbisyuhan natin,” Balutan said.
According to Balutan, he signs checks every day for more or less P22 million intended for the poor and indigent patients who are requesting financial and medical support. Requests vary from hospitalization, chemotherapy, dialysis, implant/transplant, to any medical services, except room, rent, and doctors’ professional fees.
“Kung meron kang Phil- Health, unahin muna ‘yun. Kung meron kang medical insurance or Senior Citizen’s discount ka, ibabawas muna doon,” explained Balutan.
To relieve the patients from personal appearances at the PCSO Main Office in Mandaluyong City or its extension office at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City, Balutan advised patients to go directly to the PCSO ASAP Desks located in partner-hospitals nationwide.
“May desk ang PCSO diyan kung saan doon ipo-proseso ang inyong application. Ang hinihingi lang, medical abstract, letter of request, and latest hospital bill,” said Balutan.
Aside from ASAP Desks, patients can also go to PCSO branches located nationwide.
“’Yung mga branches natin sa PCSO, may mga pondo ‘yan. General Santos City, for example, has a P350,000 per day, P50,000 of that is for Sultan Kudarat. Inuubos ‘yan araw-araw,” said Balutan.
Balutan revealed that Davao del Sur, Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija have P800,000 budget per day, but it can be increased depending on the number of patients, especially for the poor and indigents who have really no means to pay.
“In PCSO, we generate our own funds and not appropriated by Congress. All our generated funds come from the gaming public. We have our products such as Lotto, Sweepstakes, and STL,” said Balutan.
He also reminded the local government units to support PCSO products, especially STL in line with the directive (Executive Order No. 13) of the President to curb illegal gambling nationwide.
