‘PCSO closure will not hamper Malasakit Center operations’

PRESIDENTIAL Assistant for the Visayas Secretary Michael Dino supports the move of President Rodrigo Duterte who closed outlets of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), which is now pending investigation due to allegations of corruption.

But Secretary Dino said that the operation of the Malasakit Centers will not be affected amidst the closure of one of its supporting agencies which is the PCSO.

“I am not the spokesman of PCSO, but I fully support the President in his stand. There is a need to close PCSO because of corruption. We will not have a total cleansing if it will not be closed,” said Secretary Dino.

Last July 28, President Duterte, in a public statement, ordered the closure of PCSO and stoppage of all its operations including lotto and small town lottery (STL), among others.

Secretary Dino hopes that all investigations relating to the allegations of corruption within PCSO be resolved at the soonest possible time. The impact of the government agency to the Filipino people cannot be denied, especially since it is one of the few agencies of government whose main purpose is to raise funds to improve the country’s social welfare.

One of the beneficiaries of PCSO as a social welfare organization is the Malasakit Center. Currently, there are 38 Malasakit Centers nationwide, 13 of which are in the Visayas.

“PCSO plays an integral part to the success of the Malasakit Center. It is one of the major agencies that supports the Malasakit Center,” said Secretary Dino.

Among the five agencies who are very supportive of the Malasakit Center health care initiative are Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), PAGCOR, PCSO, and PhilHealth.

Secretary Dino said the operations of the Malasakit Centers will not be affected since there is already an allotted budget for the whole year from the Office of the President.

OPAV is tasked to roll-out Malasakit Centers nationwide. For the last two weeks, 15 hospitals were visited by OPAV to conduct ocular inspection for identification of appropriate sites for the Center, and to brief hospital administrators on the processes and benefits of Malasakit Centers.

The goal for this year is to install 50 more Malasakit Centers nationwide. (OPAV)