Duterte Says NO to Casinos in Boracay

NO DICE. Casinos won’t be part of Boracay’s allure anytime soon.

President Rodrigo Duterte has finally stomped the rumors about the building of casinos in the country’s top tourist destination. On Monday, April 9, he stressed that his order was only to clean up Boracay.

“Unless there is a law or a proclamation of the President setting aside anything there, any inch of land maybe, then that for all those people to come in. In the meantime, there’s no plan. My order was to clean it up,” said Duterte in a press conference in Davao.

“Master plan? Wala akong master plan d’yan, linisin ko muna ‘yan kasi agricultural ‘yan (I do not have a master plan there, I just ordered to clean it up because that is agricultural),” the President also added.

President Duterte has ordered the closure of Boracay to help address its sewerage and environmental problems. Once the beach is closed off from tourists, the tourism industry will be affect all kinds of businesses including hotels and restaurants.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has confirmed that a provisional license to build a casino in Boracay was granted to Macau casino giant Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. However, the agency clarified that the project is not related to the government’s call for the island’s closure.

“I see no relationship in that because, again, it’s on the other side… of the area that was closed by the government,” PAGCOR chief Andrea Domingo said.

President Duterte, however, seems not too keen on the idea.

“Walang plano diyang casino-casino. Tama na iyan kasi sobra na. May casino dito, casino doon (There are no plans of casinos. That is too much. There are casinos everywhere),” the President said in the press conference.

He also asserted that the government owns the land.

“Sasabihin ninyo (You may ask), how about the business there? I’m sorry but that is the law. The law says that it is a forest land, agricultural. Why would I deviate from that? Do I have a good reason to do that?” he said.

He added, “I never said building anything or even a nipa hut there. What I said is that [the] island itself was owned by the government. I’ve said it before, (that is) agricultural ‘yan, pati (also) forestal.”

Boracay’s total closure for six months will be effective starting April 26, 2018.

via Philippine Canadian Inquirer / Bea Kirstein T. Manalaysay