The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has remitted P97.84 billion to the national government from 2022 through the first half of 2026 through taxes, dividends and other mandatory contributions, the agency said Friday.
The contributions include P73.05 billion in taxes remitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and P10.30 billion in dividends turned over to the Bureau of the Treasury.
PCSO also provided P11.47 billion to support Universal Health Care under Republic Act 11223, while another P3.03 billion went to government institutions and beneficiaries under special laws and executive orders.
PCSO General Manager Melquiades Robles said the contributions show how revenues from its authorized gaming activities are channeled to public programs.
“The nearly P98 billion that PCSO has contributed since 2022 shows how the public’s continued support for lotto generates meaningful resources for healthcare, education, sports development, disaster response, and other vital government programs,” Robles said.
He said the agency’s games generate value beyond prizes and jackpots, with part of the revenues returned to the public through taxes, dividends, healthcare funding, charitable assistance and other legally mandated contributions.
Robles added that expanding access to legitimate PCSO games would increase the agency’s capacity to contribute to government programs.
“As PCSO strengthens its operations and expands access to its legitimate games, we also increase our capacity to contribute to the government and help more Filipinos. Every legitimate bet helps generate funds that ultimately return to communities through public services and social programs,” he said.
PCSO uses its mandatory contributions to support various agencies and organizations, including the Commission on Higher Education, Dangerous Drugs Board, Department of Energy, National Council on Disability Affairs, Philippine Sports Commission, Boy Scouts of the Philippines, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, Nutrition Foundation of the Philippines, Quezon Institute and local government units.
The agency reported its contributions during deliberations on its proposed budget at the House of Representatives.
House Committee on Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Mikaela Angela Suansing commended PCSO for its contributions to the national government.
“I would like to commend PCSO for all its contributions to the National Government. The funds the agency has contributed play a significant role in funding government programs and projects,” Suansing said.
Representatives Ramil Hernandez, Leody Tarriela, Joseph Tan, Maria Cristina Angeles, Presley De Jesus, Alexandria Gonzales and Rebecca Maria Ynares also expressed support for PCSO’s proposed budget and thanked the agency for its contributions to government programs.
Photo courtesy of PhilStar
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