Legazpi mayor halts casino operation
With the church maintaining its strong opposition for any form of gambling, the city government opted to stop the potential of casino operation despite initial popular support from the business community and the public. Said to be a decisive factor for the decision was the church citing the region’s economic misery made doubly disturbing by all forms of gambling that has considerably saturated region including jueteng operation with bet collectors reportedly invading schools and government offices.
The city council had earlier noted that the hearing conducted on the application for casino operation had an overwhelming approval from the business community and the public with media citing that the church did not even register its opposition.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. applied for a casino operation on a 24-hour basis at the soon-to-operate P1 billion commercial complex known as Embarcadero.
In support for the casino operation, the Albay Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the Legazpi City Chinese Chamber of Commerce claimed casino operation would be advantageous to Legazpi City as it would generated jobs and income for the city, as well as enhance its potential as a tourist destination.
Embarcadero at Night | Photo by Dex Baldon
Mayor Noel Rosal said he halted the approval for the casino operation in consideration of the strong moral stand of the church led by Diocese of Legazpi Bishop Lucilo Quiambao.
The diocese of Legazpi maintained its strong stand against all forms of gambling, and even underscored that it is finding hard to develop the minds of the children against idleness and gambling because of the propensity of local leaders in promoting gambling on the pretext that it would bring income for projects.
“Gambling damages the economy by wasting man hours and materials on activities that do not produce goods and services,” Bishop Quiambao said during his meeting with the mayor.
Other church officials said gambling induces idleness noting that Bicol region is noted for many idle people, and gambling is the evil alternative as a source of livelihood.
Lawyer Alfredo Garbin, chairman of the city council committee on laws, said the Legazpi casino would start operation, if approve, in time for the much-awaited opening of Embarcadero this October.
The Embarcadero, owned by businessman Elizaldy Co, will be located in Legazpi City and according to plans would include a coastal village development and an 8,000-seat call center. The commercial complex is touted as the local version of The Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, California.
According to Fr. Ramoncito Segovience, director of the Diocese of Legazpi’s Social Action center, Albay is now the site of strong and widespread jueteng operations, reaching as far as villages whose residents were once ignorant of gambling operations.
Source: ‘Legazpi mayor halts casino operation‘. August 31, 2009. Accessed September 2, 2009
Nata sige an kontra ka simbahan? will they bring progress to Legazpi? I dont think so. Why not tabangan ninda an government instead magparakontra and one thing more maging maray na guide para sa mga taga-legazpi. Pasaway an mga padi! pag mahagad kamo donasyon maliksihon! I lost my confidence sa mga church leaders na ini. You are the ones pulling the city down!
Tam ka bro. Majority of Albayanos are not gamblers. so why worry n magcasino an mga taga Legaspi. Mga mayayaman lng an madyan. may dress code yn. even government employees are banned form entering casinos. para lng maka attract turista an casino. Hilinga and Las Vegas Nevada. Las Vegas used to be a gold mining town. Now its a major destination for tourist and the clergy there does not mind. nagpuon sana s casino. Leave to the local government the job of developing Legaspi and to the church the job of instilling morality. Let the free will of the people decide what is good for them. in the meantime, kaipuhan ta mag generate more jobs dgd s Legasi. Saro n dyan an tourism, ergo casino.
Agree ako dyan! Mayor Noel please dont let these people stop you from doing what is good for Legazpi. Gogogo! Full support kami saimo. Wala ako confidence sa mga church leaders na ini, in fact wara ngani sinda nagiginibo ngani matabangan morally most of Albayanos. Gising po! Magmuklat na may maray na maitatabang ini sa satong community. Sana mabasa ini kan mga PADI because not everybody is happy with what they are doing.. What Mayor Noel wants would greatly benefit our local economy, help people find jobs and make our city look great. Are you not happy to find a servant who works for your future? Saen ka pa?
well….may right ang mga taga simbahan na mag kontra..pero sana dai ninda pag gamiton ang influencia ninda sa gobyerno..tama na magtao sinda ki opinion pero hayaan ninda na mag desisyon ang gobyerno…sana dai maging intrumento ang church sa pag abante o pag asenso kan sarung lugar…kailangan iconsider ang effect kan casino sa city.im sure mas madami mga tao na mabibigyan ng trabaho once na magbukas ang casino dyan…
I wonder if natatakot lang ang mga politicians na magsuway sa gusto kan simbahan ta baka ibalangibog sinda na dae pagbotohan?
hmmmmm.. Tama daw iyan? All these years na grabe an mga naga-oppose digdi sato left and right of all sorts of things — an question: What good did it brought ngani ma-feel kan mga tawo na may pag-babago.
An boses kan tawo bako boses kan simbahan! Yes to casino!
Gogogo Mayor Rosal.
Pauna na, bikolano ko pero dai ko personal na midbid si Mayor Noel Rosal.
May punto din naman an simbahan pero sa paghona ko kulang lang sinda sa paliwanag. Pag sinabi pano na Casino first thing na minalaog sa isip kan tawo lalo na mga religious na tawo is sugalan, bad influence, kumbaga negative tulos. Dai ninda ugali to look deeper and consider sa kung ano an bright side. Ipaliwanag na lang sainda kung ano ang marhay na maidudulot kan project na an. Saka saru pa, Casino po iyan baku iyan tong-it-an o saklaan sa kanto na maski sisay eh pwede magkawat.
To Mayor Rosal, consider their(simbahan) opinion but decide sa kung ano an sa paghiling mo is tama para sa nasasakupan mo besides “Its the END that justifies the MEAN”. Saka ano man kung dai ka ninda suportahan sa masunod mong kandidatura at least may nagibo kang tama kan nasa term ka pa.
Catholic Church and the State will never be separated from each other because the truth is they are married and they have secrets that someday will be revealed but sometimes they are two opposing side when their agenda doesn’t favor their individual dream like what has been happening in this casino issue. If we want to be economically progressive as a city sometimes or most of the time we need to oppose the catholic church otherwise we will remain poor. A country controlled both by the government and the catholic church will struggle to see the light.
Yes to economic development and therefore yes to casino.
Legazpi, the TIGER CITY of the south.
Albay, the land of TIGERS.
In competing with asian tigers, we need to think TIGER as well.
Maray na ALBAY.
Ako naman wara man akong sinusurog or sinasabi kung sisay ang tama. Casino have both good and bad effect sa siyudad ta. It’s hard to weight the bad and good effect. It depends on how the mayor will market the city. If family oriented city, maybe we should set aside casino. If entertainment oriented city, casino is a must.
Good side of casino = more jobs, more tourists,
Bad side = more prostitution, more drugs, more crimes/killings, more corruptions.
If casino will be considered, the government should be responsible to its consequences.
Peace!
Good side of casino = more jobs, more tourists, – I agree!!
Bad side = more prostitution, more drugs, more crimes/killings, more corruptions??? OTIK… nakaduman ka na sa Las Vegas? para makataram ka kaan. grabe man an imagination mo…
sa mga lugar na open sa change makaskas an progress less an crime and bako insecure an mga tawo ta bako gutom!
I’m from Las Vegas, Gambling is one of the industries here, the city benefits from it. There are a lot of Pinois working at the casinos. Kaya, in my own point of view, I’m going to go with the plan for the city of Legazpi. Trabaho sa mga Albayanos, kwarta kan siyudad!
PANO MAN KITA MAG USWAG NA ABO MAN KAN IBA? NANGANAAN MAN KAYA AN PAG KASUTIL BUDA MADUNONG BUDA MATIBAYON… AN HAPOT ANO ANO NAGINIBO KAN MGA TAWONG IBNI? WARA MAN.. MAPAPELON MAN LANG KAYA.. HAY TAMA NA DAW EU?
First of all, nag-hahagap ako ki sadit na despensa ta,medyo napa-pagal or nadidifisilan na akong mag-taram ki deretsong Bicol, dahil 20 years na ako digdi sa Cairo, Egypt.Si Mayor Rosal, as i’ve known DWCHS grad yan, klasmate ng pinsan ko, which is senior ako saiya.I have seen the poorest part of Legaspi City, i was raised in Dinagaan,, hindi kaya na ang mga maga-gayon na projects, tulad ng issue dito, CASINO ay pagbigyan?? aram ko na maka-katabang ini sa mga Legaspino na daing trabaho,it will encourage tourism,ga-ganda ang Legaspi lalo.Iyo,,dapat ding bantayan ng Legaspi City Govt.ang mga possible bad elements of society…. i mean provide SECURITY!!!!
The very place where they build EMBARCADERO,is the very place noong maliit pa ako, nag-hahanap ako ng mga SARAD,tahong and some other sea foods, near Rempiyolas, lol!!
Sa mga Legaspino,, keep it up..dream for a prosperous LEGASPI CITY!!!mag-tarabangan kita!!!!
Legazpinos are known to be matured people, asin bukas sa pagbabago. Casino in the city? Why not, basta ba nakapag accomplished kan gabos na requirements bago iyan itugdok and b4 iyan i operate…tama man an halos gabos na mga nag komentaryo…go!go!go! Madagdag an local revenue kan ciudad…pati na ang brgy kun saen iyan tutugdok (bga sa EMBARCADERO…ta di sa Victory Village yan). Kaya saimo mayor Rosal, be firm with your political will. Kun sa ikakarahay kan saimong mga konstitwentes…GO FOR IT !
Marhay ini para sa gabos. Marhay sa tourismo. Dagdag sa revenue kan ciudad, more job opportunities for the people. I agree with Boy hapon, MORE SECURITY..and OBSERVE HONESTY and most of all.. MORALITY ngani dai na mag para contra ang mga Padi. The City and the Church must work hand in hand. Make rules/laws together to satisfy both government and the church.