CLARK FREEPORT — The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) bared that it has been losing 30 percent of its revenue in its Small Town Lottery or P1.1 billion a month due to illegal numbers game.
This was disclosed by Florante “Bong” Solmerin, deputy spokesperson of PCSO, during a press conference at Bale Balita here yesterday.
According to Solmerin, “…30 percent is 30 percent. If you convert that into peso, malaki na rin yan. Kung mailagay mo yan sa medical assistance sa Individual Medical Assistance Program natin, malaking maitutulong nyan sa mga nagkakasakit na nangangailangan ng mga gamot,” Solmerin said. In the previous administration, STL only earned up to P400 million a month with its 18 authorized agent corporations (AACs) mostly in Central Luzon, according to Solmerin. At present, Solmerin said there are already 75 franchise holders all over the country.
“Actually we have 92 approved AACs na pero 75 pa lang ang operational,” he said. PCSO has allocated P13.5 million for its medical assistance program everyday, the PCSO spokesperson said. “Yung IMAP allocation natin, nationwide dati, P8.9 million daily.
Ito yung, kunwari nagkasakit ka at you want to avail financial help para mabayaran yung bill mo sa hospital at yung gamot ang tawag namin, IMAP,” Solmerin said. But the figure was increased by the PCSO board to P13.5 million daily effective October 1, 2017, he added. “Itong IMAP ang gusto naming i-promote kasi ito yung nakakatulong,” Solmerin said.
The PCSO has already intensified its drive against the illegal numbers game.