Conflicting figures stall PCSO budget briefing

The hearing on the contributions of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) to the country’s budget for 2024 was deferred due to conflicting figures in its presentation to lawmakers and in its submitted data to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

In its presentation to the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives on Monday, the PCSO reported a P4.287-billion net income for the first half of the year, after generating a gross income of P30.469 billion, and total expenses of P22.614 billion.

Marikina Representative Stella Quimbo noted, however, that based on the Budget and Expenditures and Sources of Finance (BESF), the PCSO expects a net loss of P2.923 billion for the full year of 2023.

The BESF is part of the National Expenditures Program (NEP), which takes into account data submitted by agencies themselves to the DBM.

“Sinasabi po ninyo na napakaganda ng inyong performance at hindi ko ma-reconcile with a -P2.923 (billion) na ine-expect para sa buong 2023,” she said during the hearing.

(You are saying that you had a very good performance and I cannot reconcile this with a P2.923-billion net loss that you are expecting for the full-year 2023.)

This comes as PCSO assistant general manager Ma. Cristina Gregorio reported that the agency generated a P3.64-billion net income in 2021, and P4.268-billion net income in 2022, along with the P4.287-billion net income for the first half of 2023.

“You arrived at P4.2 billion because you were spending your charity fund for the first half of the year, right? But to go to a negative is a quantum leap,” Albay Representative Jose Maria Clemente “Joey” Salceda said.

Sought to clarify the conflicting figures being presented, Gregorio said the PCSO — which generates revenues for the government — did not submit a P2.923-billion net loss projection for 2023.

“Yes ma’am, we didn’t forecast (a) P2.9 billion (net loss),” she said.

In response, Quimbo said the figures should first be reconciled before the hearing on the agency’s contributions to the 2024 budget could proceed.

“This is a question of accountability. Wala po kayong hinihinging budget mula sa gobyerno, pero mga kawani po tayo dito ng gobyerno. Accountability lang po ang ating pinaguusapan dito,” she said.

(This is a question of accountability. You are not asking for a budget from the government, but we are all workers of the government. What we are talking about here is accountability.)

With this, Antipolo Representative Romeo Acop moved to suspend briefings until such time that PCSO would be able to answer the questions of the legislators. With no objections, the briefings were suspended until further notice.

Under its mandate, the PCSO serves as the country’s principal government agency for generating funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national charter. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/RSJ, GMA Integrated News