The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is expanding the operations of Small Town Lottery in Negros Oriental.
PCSO local branch manager Belena Alvarez confirmed that Negros Oriental is among the 56 areas where operation of the Small Town Lottery was being expanded in a bid to increase revenues and to curb illegal gambling.
Alvarez on Wednesday said a Cebu-based company called Four Aces has been granted authority to operate the STL in the province of Negros Oriental.
There are currently 112 lotto outlets in Negros Oriental with no restrictions as to the number of outlets to be established, as long as they comply with the distance requirement, which is 100 meters away from schools and 50 meters away from another lotto outlet.
She said the local branch office is receiving an average of 25 to 30 requests for hospital and medicine assistance every day.
With STL, Alvarez said PCSO will be able to augment the needs for medical programs of the poor.
The local PCSO office is authorized to extend up to P50,000 assistance for the hospitalization of local patients.
Aside from the increased revenues and to augment the health needs of the poor, STL is also aimed at eradicating illegal gambling locally known as swertres.
In STL, 55 percent of the income goes to the prizes, 30 percent to charity and only 15 percent to the operation while in illegal “swertres” not a single centavo goes back to the government, she pointed out.
Meanwhile, the church is consistent with their stand against gambling, whether legal or illegal.
Msgr. Gamaliel Tulabing, spokesperson of the Diocese of Dumaguete, said it is immoral, against the true essence of economic development, and against the cultural welfare of the people.
He further said gambling per se is not immoral but the way it is done is like exploiting the poor because of a promised pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
He warned that in that way, the poor can lose their hard-earned money that is actually supposed to buy food, medicine, and other basic needs of the family.
Monsignor Tulabing also pointed out that instead of developing an ethic of hard work, gambling entices the poor to bet his last peso with the hope of being the lucky one, not knowing his chances are nil.
As to the distribution of ambulances and hospitalization benefits, Tulabing said he has yet to see an accounting or paper trail of the 30 percent income from STL operation that is supposed to go to charity.
On the other hand, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office acting provincial director Sr. Supt Henry Biñas said the command fully supports the expanded operation of STL in the province in saying the purpose is very noble.
He is happy that the PNP will have shares from lotto ticket sales, which he said is needed in enhancing their operations, logistics, mobility and even for the purchase of ammunition, as well as the need to conduct more trainings on investigation and intelligence gathering of the police.
Biñas stressed there is no need for the creation of a task force because its part already of their mandate.
He described as generally active the illegal “swertres” operations in the province especially in the hinterland areas.
The provincial director admitted having a hard time in getting the financiers who operate using guerilla style, inside hotels or pension houses with no paper trail, while the ordinary collectors and ushers are the ones likely to be arrested.
However, the command is doing its best to really the financiers in due time. (JFP/JG)
