PCSO inaugurates new branch office in Cagayan

By Oliver T. Baccay

Thursday 21st of June 2012

TUAO, Cagayan, June 21 (PIA) -- A newly constructed branch of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was inaugurated on June 19 here.

PCSO Chairman Margarita Juico, together with Board of Directors Betty Nantes and Mabel Mamba led the inauguration ceremony.

Juico said the branch office here is the second in the whole country after Samar, after they have decided to decentralize their service office to bring their services near to the marginalized sector.

She said the Cagayan branch office will also serve not only Cagayanos but also those from the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao.

“This will facilitate easy access and efficient delivery of charity services to the needy people in the provinces because we realized that there are many indigent sick individuals in the far-flung areas who spent so much just to go to Manila to request for assistance,” Juico said.

She further mentioned that they are now prioritizing establishment of service offices in the provinces and promised to install one each in the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao, as long as the local government unit will donate a space to build the office.

Juico also promoted lottery, sweepstakes, and small-town lottery gaming, as means to generate more funds. A lotto outlet was further opened in the said office, which will also cater those in the town and nearby municipalities.

“May I clarify that we don’t promote gambling but gaming as means of charity fund generation to finance medical equipments in the hospitals, ambulances, financial needs for hospitalizations, and other pro-poor activities,” Juico added.

She also stated that all requests and transactions from clients from Cagayan, Kalinga and Apayao can now be processed in the newly opened service office in this town.

Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs, Secretary Manuel Mamba, and Apayao Congressman Manuel Agyao expressed their gratitude to PCSO for reaching out the needy people of the three provinces.

The two officials said the branch will serve as an access bridge of the poor sick individuals to the PCSO services, without travelling to Manila and waiting for a long period of time to avail of the services of the charity sweepstakes office. (OTB/PIA-2)