IT WAS in our column of Dec. 19, 2017 when we first reported about Leisure and Resorts World Corporation (LRWC) having talks with Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. (GEG) of Macau to put up an integrated beach resort with casino in Boracay.
Last week, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has confirmed that this project of the Macau casino operator will now push through.
PAGCOR chair Andrea Domingo said the contract signing for the $500-million casino resort was last week between the Macau Galaxy Entertainment Group and its local partner, AB Leisure Exponent. The agency also has the proposal of Resorts World Manila to open another gaming operation in the Savoy Hotel at Megaworld’s Boracay New Coast development.
In addition to these two integrated resorts, the PAGCOR chief said there were also two other casino junket firms with smaller operations located at Movenpick and Crown Regency resort on the island.
Boracay has a native population of 32,267 with its public school system and a church serving families that have considered Boracay their home for many years long before the resort hotels invaded.
We mentioned in a previous article that Boracay made Aklan the top province in Western Visayas in tourist arrivals. As of Feb. 14, 2018 it was visited by 2,162,663 tourists with 46 percent or 994,824,980 of them from foreign countries.
Boracay was also cited in 2017 as the Second Best Island in Asia by Travel + Leisure Magazine as published in its 22nd annual list of July 2017, among 10 other top hotels and resorts in Asia. It has become a premier cruise ship destination. For 2018 our Department of Tourism disclosed that eight cruise ships have scheduled trips to Boracay that will bring 50,000 tourists and 25,000 crew members.
We wish to hear more of what the natives and family-oriented visitors to Boracay are saying about this total invasion of gambling casinos to the island paradise.
The Philippines is a an archipelago of 7,507 islands, including 400 newly-discovered and added only to our territory in February last year by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA).
Of the 7,507 islands that we have now in our archipelago, NAMRIA says only 2,000 are inhabited and 5,507 are not and still with no names.
When considered an island, it means that it is above sea level at any given time and can support either plant or animal life, or both. Here is where PAGCOR can encourage the casinos to apply for as many new islands as they want to occupy for their gambling business. HAPPY EASTER!
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Historical Quote for the Week
Iloilo is the first city in the Philippines to have direct shipping lines with Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Europe and America. (For comments or re-actions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
