“While the PCSO Offices are now housed in Mandaluyong City, it is still not home to us. As such, at the outset of my tenure, I was with you in dreaming for a permanent place to call our very own.” — General Manager Mel Robles
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- EDD K. USMAN | Twitter: @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 | Facebook: SDN — SciTech and Digital News
(SDN) — MANILA — Home sweet home!
It appears the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) is returning to its former home along San Marcelino Street, Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila.
As they say, “Home is where the heart is!”
And Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin is helping out fulfill this dream of the PCSO leadership and employees to return to where the charity agency all started.
Bersamin and PCSO General Manager/Vice Chair of the Board Melquiades “Mel” Robles have started the ball rolling as the duo broke ground along with other officials on Thursday, August 1, 2024, for the new PCSO Corporate Center in Ermita.
In a statement sent to members of the news media, the PCSO said the “Php2.2-billion project is eyed to become the permanent home for the agency’s employees and stakeholders, while allowing a 24/7 operational capability for designated operations.”
The charity agency added the Corporate Center “is also expected to improve the agency’s overall products and services being provided to Filipinos.
As the main government agency tasked to generate and provide funds “for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character”, the PCSO solely generates its revenue from its myriads of gaming products, like its five lotto games, such as Lotto 6/42, Mega Lotto 6/45, Super Lotto 6/49, Grand Lotto 6/55, and Ultra Lotto 6/58; Small Town Lottery (STL); Keno, Digits Games (Easy 2, 3D, 4D, 6D); ScratchIt Cards, and occasional Sweepstakes draws.
Out of every 100 pesos revenue the charity agency earns, 55 percent go to Prize Fund, 30 Percent for Charity Fund, and 15 percent allocated to Operating Fund. The PCSO and PAGCOR (Philippine Gaming Corporation) are the only two government agencies that do not receive a single centavo from the General Appropriations Act (GAA). Two, therefore, are self-sustaining and they are the ones that contribute huge funds to the government, aside from the billions of taxes they pay every year.
Bersamin cited the groundbreaking “as a beacon of progress.”
“This groundbreaking stands not only as a testament to your vision but as a beacon of progress. And given your efforts leading to today, this will surely positively impact the quality of your service to your stakeholders, to the gaming community, to the ever-growing patrons of the PCSO and the general public,” the Malacanang official emphasized.
On the other hand, Robles explained the rational for the new PCSO Headquarters at is original home, saying “their objective was to build an infrastructure that will not only be enough to house the workforce, but also to significantly enhance their corporate image.”
The PCSO leadership, he pointed out, also aims at strengthening their ability to fulfill their mandate of raising and providing funds for national health-related projects and charities.
It can be recalled the original PCSO home as along San Marcelino Street in Ermita, Manila. Then it transferred to the Quezon Institute (QI) along E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, then transferred to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, Metro Manila, when the QI was found by structural engineers as already unsafe for its many cracks, then again transferred to the Sun Plaza Building, along Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.
And with the groundbreaking on the grounds where it started formally, getting home is now forthcoming.
According to the press statement, the PCSO Corporate Center (PCC) will comprise of three separate buildings that will be linked with each to other to achieve an efficient circulation, accessibility, and smooth operations.
First, the Corporate Building, a seven-story facility with a concrete roof deck that will accommodate frontline services, medical and charity departments, other satellite government offices, and additional spaces for employees’ well-being.
Second, the Gaming and Multi-Purpose Building with three floors dedicated to draw court and gaming operations, complemented by multi-purpose areas for social events.
Lastly, the Logistics and Parking Building, a five-story structure integrating multi-level parking, warehousing facilities, and printing operations to streamline logistics.
Corporate Center set for completion in October 2025
The charity agency’s news release assured that the facility meets the minimum parking space requirement that can accommodate cars at its intended 200 parking slots.
Aside from the cited main features of the Corporate Center, it was also designed to have key features such as provision for Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-enabled facilities and utilization of advanced engineering technology for earthquake resistance.
Additionally, the new PCSO Headquarters will also include an Integrated Facilities Management System (IFS) for efficient building operations and maintenance.
In his welcome remarks, GM Robles shared that over the years, the PCSO has moved from one city to another, either renting or sharing office spaces to house its workforce and daily operations.
Robles cited the importance of having PCSO its own home.
“While the PCSO Offices are now housed in Mandaluyong City, it is still not home to us. As such, at the outset of my tenure, I was with you in dreaming for a permanent place to call our very own,” he declares in his remarks at the groundbreaking rites.
“[The] PCSO Corporate Center will rise as a symbol of the dedication of PCSO officials and employees who dared to dream through the years,” Robles emphasizes.
At the same time, he did not fail to commend the personnel of the charity agency.
“Allow me to recognize all of you for this vision, which now will become our legacy to our stakeholders, to our gaming patrons, to the public and to all Filipinos.”
If all things full into their proper places, the PCSO expects to the see the Corporate Center’s completion come October 2026.
Other officials who were present during the groundbreaking of the new Corporate Center include PCSO Chairman (Ret.) Judge Felix Reyes, Board Directors Imelda Papin, Jennifer Liongson-Guevara, and Janet de Leon-Mercado, as well as representatives from project constructor Unimasters Conglomeration, Inc./Monocrete Construction Philippines, Inc., and Finance Undersecretary Rolando Tungpalan from the Department of Finance (DOF) Corporate Affairs and Strategic Infrastructure Group.
It can be recalled that before former PCSO officials chair Margarita Juico and general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas exited from the charity agency, they also planned to return the PCSO to its former home in Ermita as they set their eyes on constructing a new headquarters.
Somehow, the plan did not come through. (♡)