THE Philippine Racing Commission is sponsoring six charity races during the last three weekends of August at the country’s three premier race tracks for the benefit of the victims of the Marawi City crisis.
In a resolution signed by Philracom officials at their Makati City office, the board will be holding two charity races beginning on Aug. 13 at the Manila Jockey Club’s San Lazaro Park in Carmona, Cavite, followed by two more on Aug. 20 at the Philippine Racing Club’s Santa Ana Park. The last two charity races will be held on Aug. 27 at the Manila Metro Turf in Malvar, Batangas.
“The call for humanitarian action is resounding in the face of the Marawi City crisis – displaced families, injured and dead civilians and soldiers and damaged properties,” the Philracom said. “As a response to the devastating conditions created by the crisis in Marawi City, the Commission deemed it necessary, reasonable and desirable to sponsor charity races for the benefit of victims of the crisis in Marawi City.”
The resolution was signed by Philracom Chairman Andrew A. Sanchez and Commissioners Bienvenido Niles Jr. Wilfredo de Ungria, Atty. Jose P. Santillan Jr., Lyndon B. Guce, Atty. Ramon Bagatsing Jr. and Atty. Victor Tantoco.
The Philracom Stakes Race scheduled on Aug. 13 at the San Lazaro Park will be converted into two charity races for Marawi, with the amount allocated for the stakes race being utilized for the said races.
The Commission will allocate P300,000 for every charity race or a total of P1,800,000 for the entire month, to be taken from the Commission’s General or Trust Fund-Breakages and subject to the observance of applicable law, rules and regulations.
“The Philracom is under the Office of the President and it is but proper that we aid in President Rodrigo Duterte’s efforts to rehabilitate Marawi City,” said Chairman Sanchez.
The six charity races will be conducted in accordance with the Philracom’s Rating-Based Handicapping System, which is a result of the commission’s affiliation with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), whose mission is to promote good regulation and best practices on international matters pertaining to the sport.
As a member of IFHA, Philracom is ready to embrace the world standards set by the international body, such as the rating-based handicapping system, equine drug-testing and transfer of technology, thereby making sure that horseracing in the Philippines is held at the highest level.