Southern Lights Gaming Corp., which seeks to establish a full blown casino in barangay Batinguel, said during a hearing at the Dumaguete City Council that it is actually the Philippine Amusements & Gaming Corp. that will operate the gambling den.
Atty. Cecile Anne Sung, Southern Lights’ counsel, told the Council hearing at the Sangguniang Panlunsod last Monday that majority of the shares of the casino will be held by Pagcor.
She also said that since the casino will be managed and operated by Pagcor, the employer for the casino workers will be Pagcor.
The City Council met as a Committee of the Whole to discuss the controversial application from Southern Lights Gaming Corp., that has since elicited criticism from the Diocese of Dumaguete, and various groups in the City.
Estela Bianca Picardal, Southern Lights’ corporate secretary, said they only invested in 35 percent of the franchise of the proposed casino, which will be managed and operated by Pagcor — which owns 65 percent of the operation.
Picardal said the Pagcor had conducted a feasibility study for the establishment of the casino five years ago in 2019. “From then on, they were trying to look for investors; it just so happened that we were available, and we believe that we can make it happen together with Pagcor,” she said.
Picardal added the 35 percent investment by Southern Lights includes the establishment of the casino’s infrastructure, and the acquisition of the machines.
“We will be preparing the venue, the machines, and then Pagcor will come in and operate,” Picardal clarified.
Also part of the agreement with Pagcor, Southern Lights will handle the marketing and entertainment aspect of the casino.
Southern Lights will establish a three-star hotel beside the casino, which is a “minimum requirement” for the operation of a casino. “[It is] mostly to cater to our VIPs, but it is also available for the public,” said Picardal.
The proposed venue of the casino is at Brooke’s Place, an events venue in barangay Batinguel.
Income for Dgte
To a question posed by Councilor JV Imbo, Atty. Sung of Southern Lights replied: “The Council can actually charge an amusement tax on the entertainment revenues that will be generated [by the casino operation].”
The Committee meeting was scheduled after Southern Lights requested the City Council to pass a Resolution of No-Objection, a requirement from Pagcor before they engage in a partnership with the private group.
Pagcor was also invited to the Committee meeting but sent instead a letter to explain their absence.
Atty. Sung explained that once they get the Resolution of No-Objection from the City Council, they will submit all their requirements to Pagcor.
“The Pagcor Board will study all of our requirements, and if they approve it, that’s the time we will formally form the entity that will become the casino.”
Meanwhile, during the regular Council session last Tuesday, the Silliman University Faculty Association had submitted a position paper addressed to the City Council expressing disapproval of the establishment of a casino in Dumaguete.
The SUFA position paper said the establishment of a casino in the City “poses numerous problems,” and that only the casino “will become wealthier, whereas, the City and its community will suffer from all the negative impacts” of the problems they cited.
The document, signed by Prof. Jonathan Mark Te as president, listed the problems: 1) an increased burden on the government when handling pathological gambling; 2) opportunities for money laundering and organized crime; and 3) traffic problems that would further disturb the local residences and businesses.
SUFA said they believe casinos do not help improve the economic state of any area, also cited a CNN article that reported how “…casinos do not revive local economies. They act as parasites upon them.”
Councilor Jovencio Tan, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, said he hopes that a public hearing will be conducted “to sum up” what the people truly want to happen.
He also lamented that even if the Resolution of No-Objection will be denied, there is no stopping Pagcor from establishing a casino in Dumaguete. “They [Pagcor] should be here because they were invited as resource speaker kay daghang mga pangutana na wala matubag (there are a lot of questions that weren’t answered).”
Councilor Tincho Perdices then recommended to schedule another hearing of the Committee of the Whole “to accommodate Pagcor”. (Franz Jullian Sevilla/SU Masscom)
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Photo Caption: The City Council gets a full audience Monday who wanted to witness the hearing of the Committee of the Whole with guests from Southern Lights Gaming Corp., proponent of the controversial casino in barangay Batinguel. (Photo by Conie Erolon)
