PSC: Who’ll foot the bill?

Manila, Philippines – Six days before the much-awaited friendly match between the MLS Champion La Galaxy and the Philippine Azkals, the Philippine Sports Commission is at a loss as to who will foot the bill for the two-day rental of the government-owned Rizal Memorial football field.

PSC chairman Richie Garcia said yesterday that it will likely charge the organizers and promoters of the goodwill game for close to P1 million since “they will not only use the football field but will take up the space of the entire Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.”

Owing to the arrival of the big-named Galaxy players and the entire organization, Garcia said security will also be tightened inside the decades-old venue. Coming over are team captain US star Landon Donovan and British glamour boy David Beckham.

“There are other events like tennis and fencing being played inside the complex right now so those will be affected when they get here to train, hold clinics and play the game,” said Garcia.

Garcia said he has met with Philippine Football Federation (PFF) officials but not Jinx Macabenta, the US-based promoter of the one-game friendly match, stressing that the PFF is not shouldering the rental but the promoter.

Garcia said he would have probably waived the rental if only the ticket prices are affordable to the public.

“But this is business,” said Garcia, stressing that the PSC had virtually waived the rental when the Azkals played there in the previous months.

Ticket prices range from a high of P15,000 to a low of P2,000. Other tickets are priced at P5,000, P9,000, P10,500 and P12,500, figures that Garcia said was too expensive.

“If they only lowered the ticket prices to the hundreds eh libre na ang rental,” he said.

Still, Garcia said the rental fee remains negotiable and he will take up this issue when the PSC Board meets this morning.

Garcia said he has no choice but to charge the promoter/organizer for the use of the facilities and the newly-refurbished pitch. (Nick Giongco)

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