QUEZON City Rep. Winston ‘Winnie’ Castelo has found an innovative way to fund pro-poor government projects without raising new taxes.
Castelo recently filed House Bill 4774, a measure that will mandate every winner of grand mega lotto to contribute 20 percent of the pot to the education and housing programs of the government.
Of the 20 percent, 10 goes to housing while the other 10 goes to education, Castelo explained.
Castelo said the bill is only for the high lotto prize winners. The small prizes are not affected by the bill, he added.
“Before one gets confused, I would like to clarify that the bill would affect only winners of the grand mega lotto. It does not cover winners of small lotto prizes,” Castelo said.
Considering the huge money that mega lotto winners get, Castelo believe the instant millioners would agree to allot a small share of their millions to projects that would benefit the poor, particularly housing and education.
Castelo pointed out that problems on education and housing remain unsolved in the country due to lack of funding.
But with his proposal, Castelo said grand mega lotto winners can be an instant partner of the government in fighting homelessness and promoting education in the country.
“A few hundred thousand pesos would be more than enough to build additional classrooms or build some socialized housing units for our homeless countrymen,” Castelo said.
“There is no better way of giving thanks for a huge blessing than engaging in a humanitarian endeavor such as helping the poor,” Castelo added. 30
