Legislation

Philippines – Pagcor defends legitimacy of Bacolod opening

By Phil - 17 January 2014

City councillors in the Philippine city of Bacolod City have questioned the legality of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp’s latest casino opening in the city’s L’Fisher Hotel.

Pagcor’s was believed to be transferring an existing casino licence from the Goldenfield Commercial Complex to the L’Fisher Hotel Annex Building without needing a “Resolution of No Objection (Rono) from the city’s politicians.

However when the casino opened in the second week of January, Pagcor did not transfer the Casino Filipino Bacolod to another location, but opened another, completely new venue at L’ Fisher Hotel.

Pagcor chairman Cristino Naguiat said: “This is a management decision to take this direction. We have a target to achieve. Bacolod and Negros Occidental have a potential in terms of tourism. This is a beautiful casino now. It is ideal to operate in a hotel. Casinos cannot operate independently. We have been here since 2001, and I think, we have a good relationship with everybody. We have to study the so-called resolution of no objection but we have national laws that are sometimes in conflict with the local laws. But these things can be discussed and I think this is not an issue. Pagcor has been helping the city and province in its tourism projects.””

Councilor Archie Baribar replied: “We are not making things hard for Pagcor, but we just want to make sure that there are things that need the participation of the Sanggunian and one of it is a deliberation with regard to the social consequences that this matter will create. After all, Pagcor has been a reliant partner of the City Government of Bacolod.”

Pagcor believes that 2014 will see its revenues rise by six per cent in excess of US$1bn due to the opening of City of Dreams Manila, the second of four resort style casinos being built at Manila Bay called Entertainment.