PSC vows to release athletes’ allowances this week after delay
EXPERIENCED some delays in the processing of the release of the allowances of national athletes, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) assured at the weekend that the issues have been addressed and disbursement will take place this week.
As per the report of PSC Executive Director Atty. Guillermo B. Iroy, Jr., the allowances will be deposited to the Land Bank of the Philippines by Monday.
The government sports body was called out recently by Senator Bong Go, Senate Committee on Sports chairman, after the lawmaker got wind that allowances of athletes for the months of June and July were yet to be given.
Mr. Go urged the PSC to release the allowances at the soonest possible time so as to help the athletes during these trying times with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
The PSC, for its part, admitted to the delay and apologized for it.
It, however, explained that the delay in the release of the allowances of the national team was brought about by the overhaul of its payroll administration system after the agency was rocked recently by a payroll padding scam by one of its employees.
“We shifted systems, in coordination with our depository bank. It was one of the ways we saw to tighten up our process in connection with the payrolling of employees and national team members,” said Mr. Iroy in a statement.
The PSC said it recognized the inconvenience the overhauling caused but underscored it was an action needed to be done “to ensure that no underhanded schemes are ever done in this service aspect again.”
“We issued an advisory to the national team to advise them of the delay and the cause of it. We understand that with the crisis raging, the delay is very stressful but the corrections were also needed,” Marc Edward D. Velasco, PSC chief of staff and National Training Director, said.
The PSC also enjoined all national sports federations to ensure proper monitoring and reporting on the training and activities of the athletes under their supervision and to religiously submit as these are requirements in the processing of monthly allowances. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
