Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

Last updated

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office
Company type State-owned
FoundedOctober 30, 1934;90 years ago (1934-10-30)
HeadquartersSun Plaza Building, 1507 Princeton Street corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong 1552, Metro Manila, Philippines
Area served
 Philippines
Key people
Felix Reyes (Chairman) [1]
Melquiades A. Robles (General Manager)
Services Lotteries
Owner Government of the Philippines
Website web.archive.org/web/20061004045443/http://pcso.gov.ph/

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO, Filipino : Tanggapan sa Charity Sweepstakes ng Pilipinas [2] ) is a government-owned and controlled corporation of the Philippines under direct supervision of the Office of the President of the Philippines. It is mandated to do fund raising and provide funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character. The raised collections goes to the President's Presidential Social Fund to improve the country's social welfare. [3]

Contents

Sources of Revenue

Allocation of Net Receipts

The disbursements of these allocations are subject to state auditing rules and regulations.

History

Before the establishment of the PCSO

Lotteries were introduced in the Philippines in 1833, as the company called Real Renta de Loteria was founded on January 29, 1850, and the first draw was held on January 21, 1851, [4] under the auspices of private enterprises called the Empresa de Reales Loterias Españolas de Filipinas, the Spanish government conducted loterias to generate revenues. José Rizal won ₱6,200.00 in the draw of 1892, while on exile in Dapitan. He donated his winnings to an educational project. [3]

The loteria was forced to stop operations during the outbreak of the Spanish–American War on July 19, 1898. [4] [3]

In 1932, the first Sweepstakes draw after the last loteria was conducted by the American Insular government to raise funds to support sports projects for the Filipino youth through the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF) – the beneficiary of the first draw. After the success of the PAAF Sweepstakes, the government decided to conduct more draws for the benefit of the Philippine Anti-Tuberculosis Society, now the Philippine Tuberculosis Society (PTS). The draws were held under the auspices of an organization called the National Charity Sweepstakes (NCS). [3]

The establishment of the PCSO

In March 1935, then President Manuel L. Quezon approved Act No. 301 – the law passed by the Philippine Legislature on October 30, 1934, creating the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO), replacing the then National Charity Sweepstakes. Under this law, the new organization was authorized to secure from the National Treasury a loan amounting to ₱250,000.00, the minimum amount required for organizing the office and printing the tickets for the draw. On September 8, 1935, the new agency held its first Sweepstakes draw. The loan was paid back in less than two months and shortly after the note was signed, proceeds from the sales started coming in. [3]

Among its beneficiaries then were the Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (PAAF; today the Philippine Olympic Committee), the Philippine Tuberculosis Society (PTS), the National Federation of Women's Clubs, the Asociación de Damas de Filipinas, the Gota de Leche, the Associate of Manila and the Provinces, the Philippine Islands Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Asilo para Invalidos de los Veteranos de la Revolución, the Child Welfare Center and other institutions and organizations engaged in charitable and health work, or work for the improvement of the conditions of the indigent Filipino masses. [3]

Its corporate charter was enacted into law under Republic Act No. 1169 on June 18, 1954, by Ramon Magsaysay. It repealed Act No. 430, as amended by Commonwealth Act Nos. 301 and 546 and by Republic Acts Nos. 72 and 574. In September 1979, Batas Pambansa Blg. 42 was enacted to raise the fund allocation for the agency's Charity Fund and for the use of unclaimed prizes. [3]

Modern history (1987-present)

In 1987, the PCSO launched the small-town lottery (STL) and Instant Sweepstakes, the STL is intended to compete with jueteng, a popular but illegal numbers game that is criticized as a major source of corruption in local government units and was suspended in 1990. [5] [3]

In January 1995, during the incumbency of then Chairman Manuel Morato, the PCSO launched the very first online lottery in the Philippines known as Lotto, its first draw was held on March 8, 1995. Similar to lotteries in the United States, Europe and Australia, the automated gaming, initially the Lotto 6/42 and later expanded to Mega Lotto 6/45, 6-Digit Lotto and 4-Digit Lotto in 1997, Super Lotto 6/49 in 2000, Swertres 3D Lotto in 2002, EZ2 Lotto in 2004, Grand Lotto 6/55 in 2010 and Ultra Lotto 6/58 in 2015, the player chooses any set of 6 numbers from 1 to 42 and wins when these numbers are drawn in any sequence during the draw date. An equipment lease was signed with Malaysia's Berjaya Sports Toto Berhad. [3]

On March 20, 2006, through the advice of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the PCSO revived the small-town lottery (STL).

On July 26, 2019, in a speech, President Rodrigo Duterte declared PCSO games as "illegal" due to corruption allegiations and closing down the lotto outlets across the country by the Philippine National Police (PNP), temporarily suspending its gaming operations after the speech, Lotto operations was resumed on July 31, 2019, and small-town-lottery operations on August 22, 2019. [6] [7]

From July 26 to August 26, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte has suspended the STL operations around the country due to allegations of corruption. [8]

On March 17, 2020, PCSO's gaming-related operations such as Lotto, Keno, digit games and small-town lottery in Luzon is temporarily suspended for the second time following the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon amid COVID-19 pandemic. [9] [10] [11] [12]

On April 7, 2020, PCSO announced that small-town lottery in Visayas and Mindanao is temporarily suspended for the second time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [13]

On April 16, 2020, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte banned small-town lottery in Davao City for the second time, also due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [14]

On October 1, 2023, PCSO launched its state-of-the-art Philippine Lottery System (PLS) after nearly 3 decades. The PLS now has a single and centralized lotto system run by one operator – the same two lotto systems providers but combined in a joint venture. [15]

On December 15, 2023, PCSO launched its Test run of E-Lotto. With the introduction of the e-lotto web-based platform, players and bettors can use their laptops or PCs to place bets, purchase lottery e-tickets, and make payments using GCash e-wallets. [16]

On August 1, 2024, PCSO breaks ground on P 2.2-b ultra-modern corporate center located in Ermita, Manila. The P 2.2-billion project is expected to become the permanent home for the agency's employees and stakeholders, while allowing a 24/7 operational capability for designated operations. [17]

In August 2024, Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen granted Yeng Guiao's 2016 mandamus nullifying the Ramos-era Pagcor memorandum. It directed the PCSO to account and refund to the Philippine Sports Commission, 30% charity fund from the six lottery draws annually, starting 2006. [18]

Controversies

Killing of Wesley Barayuga

On July 30, 2020, Wesley Barayuga, the PCSO's board secretary, was shot dead by an unidentified gunman on a motorcycle who opened fire at his vehicle in Mandaluyong. [19] At a hearing by the House of Representatives in 2024, a police officer accused former PCSO general manager Royina Garma and National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, then a police colonel, of ordering the killing, citing Barayuga's alleged involvement in illegal drugs. Both Garma and Leonardo denied the allegations. [20]

January 2024 viral lotto winner photo

The viral edited photo of a 47-year-old PCSO Lotto jackpot winner (left) from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines, claiming her prize check from a PCSO official PCSO Lotto jackpot winner viral edited photo, January 2024.jpg
The viral edited photo of a 47-year-old PCSO Lotto jackpot winner (left) from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines, claiming her prize check from a PCSO official

In January 2024, a photo of a 6/42 Lotto jackpot winner claiming her ₱43 million prize check from the PCSO went viral on social media after netizens found that certain features of the supposed winner were "poorly edited". A Senate inquiry on the legitimacy of the winner ensued, with the PCSO admitting that the photo could have been edited properly but explained the editing was necessary to conceal the identity of the winner. [21] The PCSO revealed they have had complaints from winners whose identity were recognized through their clothing by people close to them, even though their face was covered. [21] The PCSO assured that the supposed winner is a real person, describing the bettor as a 47-year-old housewife from San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan whose winning numbers reportedly came from "her family's birthdates and two other 'lucky' numbers"; [22] she claimed her prize on December 28, 2023, at the PCSO's main office in Mandaluyong. [23] Senator Raffy Tulfo has said he will conduct a thorough investigation on the legitimacy of lotto winners beginning January 25, 2024, [24] and the PCSO vowed to disclose the name of the winner to the committee should they get subpoenaed. [23]

The photo has since been parodied and turned into memes by brands and netizens on social media. [25]

3D Lotto Glitch

On February 27, 2024, during the 3D Lotto draw, a draw machine malfunctioned. After the live stream was halted for 15 minutes, a new machine was used to draw the first number again. The second and third digits were unchanged. Senator Imee Marcos, who earlier called for the temporary halting of PCSO draws, said she was stunned after watching the live stream video. [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jueteng</span> Numbers game played in the Philippines

Jueteng is a numbers game played in the Philippines. First reported in the late 1800s while the Philippines was under Spanish rule, it was made illegal in 1907 after the United States occupied the Philippines. Despite this, and successive subsequent crackdowns, the game remains popular throughout Luzon, while similar games exist in the rest of the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Ressa</span> Filipino and American journalist (born 1963)

Maria Angelita Ressa is a Filipino and American journalist. She is the co-founder and CEO of Rappler. She previously spent nearly two decades working as a lead investigative reporter in Southeast Asia for CNN. She is a Professor of Professional Practice in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University and has been a Distinguished Fellow at Columbia's new Institute of Global Politics since fall of 2023.

The PCSO Lottery Draw is the television program that broadcasts the drawing of the nationally-franchised Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) lotto games in the Philippines. It has been aired daily on the People's Television Network (PTV) since March 8, 1995 and Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC) from December 2, 2024, involving the PCSO workforce consisting of more than 2,000 employees. The program consists of the drawing of both the parimutuel and fixed payout lottery games and the sweepstakes games. In November 15, 2017, it added the centralized draws of the Small Town Lottery for the provinces that did not conduct their own local STL draws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodrigo Duterte</span> President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022

Rodrigo Roa Duterte, also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino, the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency. Duterte is the first president of the Philippines to be from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assume office, beginning his term at age 71.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine Sports Commission</span> Philippine government agency

The Philippine Sports Commission is an agency of the Philippine government which tackles matters concerning sports in the country. The sports agency is independent from the Philippine Olympic Committee, a privately-ran organization which enjoys autonomy from the government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TG Guingona</span> Filipino politician (born 1959)

Teofisto "TG" de Lara Guingona III, or more commonly known as "TG," is a lawyer and the son of former vice president Teofisto "Tito" Guingona Jr. He was a congressman of the 2nd District of Bukidnon during the 13th and 14th Congress from 2004 to 2010 and a senator of the Philippines during the 15th and 16th Congress from 2010 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benhur Abalos</span> Filipino lawyer and politician

Benjamin "Benhur" de Castro Abalos Jr. is a Filipino lawyer, politician and broadcaster who served as Secretary of the Interior and Local Government from 2022 to 2024. Before his appointment as DILG secretary, he last served as the Chairman of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) under the Duterte administration from 2021 to 2022. Previously, he served as five-term city mayor, as congressman and as councilor of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. He is the son of Benjamin Abalos, a former Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and MMDA chairman.

A lottery is a form of gambling which involves selling numbered tickets and giving prizes to the holders of numbers drawn at random. Lotteries are outlawed by some governments, while others endorse it to the extent of organizing their own national (state) lottery. It is common to find some degree of regulation by governments, like allowing or prohibiting online sales of tickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Office of the President of the Philippines</span> Philippines government agency

The Office of the President of the Philippines, is an administrative, advisory, and consultative government agency that aids the president of the Philippines in performing their duty as head of state and chief of the executive branch of government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rappler</span> News website company in the Philippines

Rappler is a Filipino online news website based in Pasig, Metro Manila, the Philippines. It was founded by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa along with a group of fellow Filipino journalists as well as technopreneurs. It started as a Facebook page named MovePH in August 2011 and evolved into a website on January 1, 2012.

Gambling has been present in the Philippines since at least the sixteenth century. Various legal and illegal forms of gambling are found almost all over the archipelago. The government manages gambling through the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) a state-owned enterprise which both operates a number of individual casinos and in turn acts as a regulator to privately owned casino operators. Since 2016 PAGCOR has also granted operating licenses and overseen the regulation of growing online gambling sector serving offshore markets. Casino gambling and integrated resorts have become a key component of the Philippines appeal as a tourist destination with more than twenty casinos found in Metro Manila alone.

Tombola is a lottery-style board game which originated in Southern Italy. A variation of the game is a popular form of raffle in the UK and elsewhere around the world.

Barangay elections in the Philippines were held on May 14, 2018. The election elected the Punong Barangay, more commonly known as barangay captains, and members of the Sangguniang Barangay, or barangay council, in 41,948 barangays (villages) throughout the country whose terms start on June 30, 2018. Barangays are the smallest local government unit in the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Romualdez</span> Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines since 2022

Ferdinand Martin Gomez Romualdez is a Filipino businessman, lawyer and politician serving as the Speaker of the House of Representatives since 2022. He is also serving as the representative for the 1st district of Leyte since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2016. He formerly served as the House Majority Leader from 2019 to 2022, and unsuccessfully ran for senator in the 2016 elections. He is a first cousin of President Bongbong Marcos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Philippine drug war</span> Campaign against illegal drug trade in the Philippines

The War on Drugs is the intensified anti-drug campaign that began during the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, who served office from June 30, 2016, to June 30, 2022. The campaign reduced drug proliferation in the country, but has been marred by extrajudicial killings allegedly perpetrated by the police and unknown assailants. By 2022, the number of drug suspects killed since 2016 was officially tallied by the government as 6,252; human rights organizations and academics, however, estimate that 12,000 to 30,000 civilians have been killed in "anti-drug operations" carried out by the Philippine National Police and vigilantes.

2019 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2019.

2020 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royina Garma</span> Former Filipino policewoman and sweepstakes official

Royina Marzan Garma is a retired police officer and government official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edilberto Leonardo</span> Police officer and government official in the Philippines

Edilberto D.C. Leonardo is a retired police officer and government official.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Wesley Barayuga</span>

Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office board secretary Wesley Barayuga was killed by an unidentified gunman on July 30, 2020 in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Barayuga was initially speculated to have been killed due to work-related issues. He was also without evidence, accused of being part of a 'narcolist' created for President Rodrigo Duterte's Philippine drug war.

References

  1. ↑ De Leon, Dwight (May 28, 2024). "Ex-RTC judge Felix Reyes is new PCSO chair, replacing Junie Cua". Rappler. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
  2. ↑ Narvaez, Eilene Antoinette; Macaranas, Edgardo, eds. (2013). Mga Pangalan ng Tanggapan ng Pamahalaan sa Filipino (PDF) (in Filipino) (2013 ed.). Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino. p. 42. ISBN   978-971-0197-22-4. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 29, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office - History". Republic of the Philippines. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved January 2, 2017.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  4. 1 2 "121. Philippine Lottery and Sweepstakes". Pinoy Kollektor. February 20, 2018. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
  5. ↑ "IN THE KNOW: Small Town Lottery". Philippine Daily Inquirer . November 11, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Duterte declares lotto, STL, other PCSO games illegal". Rappler. July 27, 2019. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Duterte stops lotto, all PCSO-licensed games". CNN Philippines. July 27, 2019. Archived from the original on March 5, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  8. ↑ "House probe on PCSO adjourns without corruption bombshell". ABS-CBN News.
  9. ↑ Christopher Lloyd Caliwan (March 17, 2020). "PCSO suspends lotto draws, games amid Covid-19 threat". Philippine News Agency. Philippine News Agency . Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  10. ↑ "Lotto draws suspended due to COVID-19, says PCSO". ABS-CBN News. March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  11. ↑ Jel Santos (March 17, 2020). "PCSO suspends game operations, Luzon STL". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
  12. ↑ Neil Jayson Servallos (March 18, 2020). "Drug war, lotto games suspended". The Philippine Star . Retrieved August 8, 2020.
  13. ↑ "Public Advisory No. 3". Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020– via Facebook.
  14. ↑ "Davao City bans cockfights, small-town lottery". Rappler. April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  15. ↑ "PCSO launches automated lottery system". Philippine News Agency. October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ "PCSO rolls out digital transformation". Philippine Star Global. January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  17. ↑ "PCSO breaks ground on P2.2-b ultra-modern corporate center". Manila Standard. August 1, 2024. Retrieved August 3, 2024.
  18. ↑ Mangaluz, Jean (August 23, 2024). "Supreme Court to PAGCOR, PCSO: Remit funds to Philippine Sports Commission". The Philippine Star . Retrieved August 23, 2024.
  19. ↑ "PCSO secretary killed in ambush in Mandaluyong". Rappler. July 30, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  20. ↑ "Garma, Leonardo deny masterminding PCSO exec Barayuga's slay". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 27, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
  21. 1 2 Lalu, Gabriel Pabico (January 18, 2024). "PCSO confirms viral photo of lotto winner edited for security purposes". Inquirer.net . Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  22. ↑ "PCSO admits editing viral photo of lotto winner due to privacy reasons". CNN Philippines . January 18, 2024. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  23. 1 2 "PCSO to give lotto winners' names in Senate executive session if subpoenaed". GMA News . January 18, 2024. Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  24. ↑ Nazario, Dhel (January 24, 2024). "Tulfo to investigate PCSO Lotto jackpot winners' legitimacy". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  25. ↑ Uson, Melanie (January 19, 2024). "TRENDING: Brands, social media users give funny takes on PCSO's viral lotto winner photo". Philstarlife.com . Retrieved January 24, 2024.
  26. ↑ SUNDY LOCUS (February 29, 2024). "PCSO draws flak over Swertres lotto 'glitch'". GMA News Online. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.