In a bid to retain Baguio’s overall championship title for the fourth consecutive year, the City Government of Baguio has allocated an additional P7 million in funding for athletes competing in this year’s nationwide Batang Pinoy competition. This amount will be added to the existing P1.8 million to cover the needs of 600 Baguio athletes and coaches participating in Batang Pinoy in Puerto Princesa, Palawan this November.
During the city council session on September 23, 2024, City Sports Coordinator Gudz Gonzales explained the budget per athlete which includes airfare, transportation, food, uniforms, insurance, and other expenses totaling P14,285.00. He assured the city officials that the P8.8 million (existing and requested) will be sufficient to cover all the expenses of Batang Pinoy athletes.
Gonzales also assured the city officials that the local coaches are experienced in handling the transportation of equipment and that expenses related to this will be covered.
In response to a concern about athletes who requested to be included in the delegation despite not being on the official list, Gonzales explained that the official delegation had been chosen through a selection process, and no additional athletes or coaches will be included.
He stated that the current selection process determines the ranks of the athletes. This ranking dictates who is officially selected to compete. If parents insist on sending a rank 2 or rank 3 athlete, they can participate as long as they are registered. However, registration must go through the LGU, and these athletes must be included in the LGU’s master list.
The additional P7 million is part of the P12 million funding requested by the City Administrator’s Office and approved by the Baguio City Council on September 23, 2024. The remaining P5 million will be used to replenish the depleted incentive fund for the Batang Pinoy who will compete this year and the Philippine National Games athletes who competed last year.
City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Peña confirmed that the Local Finance Committee indicated available funds for the requested budget increase for the Batang Pinoy event and the augmentation of the athlete incentive fund.
It can be recalled that the city government experienced a funding crisis for athlete incentives last year due to a significant deficit in the budget for rewarding achievements. This deficit was primarily caused by an amendment to the city’s Sports Code which allowed for increased incentives and removed certain limitations on the amounts athletes could receive. The approved funding of P5 million aims to address this budget crisis.
Gonzales disclosed that their office faces challenges in ensuring compliance with the Sports Code. He said that while they strive to meet the qualifications, the City Accounting Office sometimes finds certain athletes ineligible. Nevertheless, he explained that the pre-audit process by the City Accounting Office ensures that only those athletes who meet the Sports Code criteria are approved for incentives.
With regard to the roles of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the LGU in organizing sports events, Gonzales confirmed that both government entities collaborate to support the sports programs to ensure a coordinated approach to athlete management.
Finally, he disclosed that the amount being requested for the upcoming 2025 budget is P9 million. Of this amount, P4.5 million will be allocated for the Batang Pinoy competition while the remaining P2.5 million will be designated for the Philippine National Games. **Jordan G. Habbiling
