Additional source of funds for gov’t fight vs pandemic
By: Daxim L. Lucas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 28 Aug 2021
The country’s gaming regulator will lift a moratorium on the establishment of new casinos three years after it was put in place by President Duterte, after the Chief Executive said the government needed new sources of revenues for its efforts to combat the pandemic.
In a mobile phone message, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. chair and CEO Andrea Domingo said the agency was ready to execute the President’s directive along with a new set of safeguards that would ensure that minors would be kept away from gambling activities.
Boracay project
“It was the President who imposed the moratorium in 2018,” she said. “Now that he has lifted it, we will implement the new policy.”
The lifting of the moratorium removes the impediment to the proposed integrated casino and resort that was going to rise on Boracay Island, which was announced in 2017, but was ordered to stop construction a few months later amid strong opposition from the public.
Despite this moratorium’s lifting, Domingo said no new casinos would be allowed in Pagcor Entertainment City in Parañaque since there was no more space for new locators. There are at present four locators in the area—Solaire Resort and Casino, City of Dreams, Okada Manila and another being built by a joint venture of Malaysia’s Genting Group and Megaworld Corp.
Safeguards readied
She clarified, however, that no ban on integrated casino resorts was ever put in place for other locations like Clark, Pampanga.
She reiterated that the regulator would put in place strong safeguards to ensure that minors were kept away from casinos.
Pagcor expects its revenue to reach P38 billion this year, up from last year’s P30 billion. This is, however, substantially lower than its prepandemic levels, which was about P80 billion a year.
Other Pagcor casino licensees are located or set to locate in Cebu, namely businessman Dennis Uy’s Emerald casino, Millennium casino of the Hong Kong-based Asian Gaming Group and Universal casino of the Gokongwei group.
Pagcor licensees also have operations in Clark, Pampanga, namely Mimosa, Midori, Donggwang, Widus, Clark Global, in addition to two others, which are not operating.
It’s women’s month!
“Support women every day of the year!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations against serious violations of Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government
(NUG) of Myanmar.
Reject Military!
#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideos
Monthly Observances:
Women’s Role in History Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 1: Environmental Week
Women’s Week
Week 3: Philippine Industry and Made-in-the-Philippines
Products Week
Last Week: Protection and Gender-Fair Treatment
of the Girl Child Week
Daily Observances:
March 8: Women’s Rights and
International Peace Day;
National Women’s Day
Mar 4— Employee Appreciation Day
Mar 15 — World Consumer Rights Day
Mar 18 — Global Recycling Day
Mar 21 — International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Mar 23 — International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims
Mar 25 — International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Mar 27 — Earth Hour