Government: No to Casinos in Boracay

The message is loud and clear: no casinos allowed in Boracay.

Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG) Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año said on Wednesday that construction of a casino in Boracay island won’t be permitted.

“First of all, the President (Rodrigo Duterte) had already decided and announced that no construction of casino Boracay will be allowed,” he said.

Año, while in an open forum of the 2nd pre-State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) 2018 Forum at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, even added that Cabinet secretaries, especially those who are part of the Boracay Rehabilitation Inter-Agency Task Force such as Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, oppose the idea.

“The people go to Boracay to swim, not to gamble. So there will be no casino there,” said Año.

A plan to build a USD500-million integrated resort-casino complex in a 23-hectare property in Barangay Manoc-Manoc in Boracay Island was recently revealed by Macau-based Galaxy Entertainment Group and its Filipino partner, AB Leisure Exponent Inc.

However, President Duterte was adamant in his stand. He doesn’t want casinos in the popular tourist destination since he believes that it won’t benefit the Filipinos.

Duterte even expressed his view that Boracay is “a forestal and agricultural land” so he can give it back to the island’s natives through land reform once its six-month rehabilitation is done.

Boracay was closed down to tourist on April 26. Since then, the rehabilitation efforts have been focused on improving the island’s sewerage system to help restore the pristine waters of the world-famous beach destination.

via Philippine News Agency / Jelly Musico