Lottery earnings to help storm survivors

PRESIDENT Aquino hands out bottles of water and food items to survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 18, during his visit to Tacloban City. MALACAÑANG PHOTO

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is encouraging more people to play lotto games as it has pledged half of the charity fund it would generate from its lotto sales nine days before Christmas to survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in nine areas in the Visayas hardest hit by the storm.

In a statement on Thursday, PCSO general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II said 50 percent of charity funds from the sales of its lottery games—Lotto, Keno Lotto Express and Bingo Milyonaryo—from Dec. 16-24 will go to eight provinces and one city in the Visayas.

The program, dubbed “Pamaskong Alay ng PCSO: Nine Days of Christmas,” draws inspiration from the traditional nine-day novena leading to the dawn Mass on Christmas Day, according to Rojas in the statement.

The revenue from game sales are allocated by law as follows: 55 percent to the prize fund, which constitutes prizes given to PCSO’s game winners; 30 percent to the charity fund (for PCSO’s assistance programs) and 15 percent to the operating fund (for agency operational expenses).

Recently, the PCSO Board of Directors led by Chair Margarita Juico has approved the cash donations which, based on average daily sales, will amount from P6 million to P10 million per day, to areas hit hardest not only by Yolanda but also by the  7.2-magnitude earthquake that destroyed historic churches in Bohol.

The percentage that would go to storm and quake victims from game sales on Dec. 16 will be allocated to Tacloban City; Dec. 17, Samar; Dec. 18, Leyte; Dec. 19, Cebu; Dec. 20, Iloilo; Dec. 21, Capiz; Dec. 22, Aklan; Dec. 23, Palawan; and Dec. 24, Bohol.

President Aquino declared a state of national calamity through Proclamation No. 682, while earlier, the provincial board of Bohol, through a resolution, declared a state of calamity in the entire province.

These were used as basis by the PCSO board to recommend the allocation of a percentage of PCSO earnings for storm and quake victims.

“We appeal to everyone to strongly support PCSO games, especially during the nine days of Christmas activity,” Rojas said.

He said that more income generated by the PCSO would translate to higher amounts allocated for storm and quake victims.