The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office generated ₱64 billion in gross sales last year, revenue that flows directly into the charity fund used for medical assistance, educational grants, and mandatory contributions to government agencies, PCSO General Manager Melquiades “Mel” Robles said Saturday.
Robles said the revenue allocation is fixed by PCSO’s charter: 55% goes to the prize fund paid out to winners, 30% goes to the charity fund, and 15% goes to operating expenses, with any surplus from operations also transferred to the charity fund, meaning virtually nothing is retained beyond what is needed to run the agency.
“Sales po ‘yun, gross sales ng PCSO. Last year naka-64 billion ‘yan, ang laki na,” Robles said, in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on September 19. “55% to prize fund, 15% to operational, and 30% to charity.”
PCSO Assistant General Manager Atty. Lyssa Grace Pagano added that after deducting 2% for printing costs, every remaining centavo follows the charter allocation, and operating fund surpluses are transferred back to charity, so that the agency retains no excess for itself.
“So 2% po printing cost, and then 55% sa prize fund, ‘yung 30% sa charity, ‘yung 15%, actually 14.7%, sa operating fund po. And then lahat po ng natitira sa operating fund ililipat po ‘yun sa charity. Kaya actually po wala na talagang natitira,” Pagano said.
Robles said PCSO is also one of the Philippines’ top-performing government-owned and controlled corporations, remitting billions in dividends and taxes directly to the national government, paying documentary stamp taxes on every ticket sold and a 20% tax on every prize claimed.
“Despite all of that na binibigay namin, nagbibigay pa rin po kami ng buwis at dibidendo. Dito lang po sa PCSO hindi libre mangarap, nangangarap ka pa lang may bayad na, may buwis ka na,” Robles said.
