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BY JOHNNY NOVERA
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TUESDAY last week there was a news item in the Business Section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer with the title, Group eyes casino resort in Boracay.
It reported that gaming firm Leisure and Resorts World Corp. (LRWC) had talks with a Hong Kong-listed Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. (GEG), one of the three original gaming concessionaires in Macau, to uild a world-class integrated beach resort and casino on Boracay Island.
If we remember right, a few years ago there was already a proposal from PAGCOR or the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to put up a casino in Boracay. We recalled that it was rejected by the local government of the municipality of Malay, Aklan that has jurisdiction over Boracay Island, after receiving negative reactions from tourist groups.
We once worked as executive director of a local hotel that hosted a casino but the management gave it up because of its negative effect on the hotel business.
Recalling our experience, a casino attracts undesirable elements like call girls and their pimps who hang out at the lobby or restaurant all evening while waiting for clients to come out of the casino and offer them “good time” but ordering only no more than coffee or soft drinks. There are also the money lenders who grant usurious loans against post-dated checks to casino players running out of cash. These denizens do not seem to jibe with building a good image for a hotel patronized by business and family groups.
Boracay has been declared this year as the Second Best Island in Asia, according to Travel + Leisure Magazine, as published in its 22nd annual list in July 2017.
The island resort got a score of 89.67 next to Palawan with 93.15.
Bali in Indonesia scored 87.61 for the third spot; Panglao in Bohol landed fourth place with 87.37.
Rounding out the top 10 were Maldives, 86.69, fifth; Cebu, 86.48, sixth; Phuket, Thailand, 84.13 (7th); Luzon, 83.07 (8th); Sri Lanka, 82.57 (ninth); and Koi Samui, Thailand, 82.43 (10th).
The ranking was based on a survey conducted by the magazine editors from Nov. 7, 2016 to March 6, 2017. Respondents in the survey were asked to rate the best islands in Asia based on the following criteria:
- a) natural attractions/beaches
- b) activities/sights
- c) restaurants/food
- d) people/friendliness, and
- e) value for money
The resort island has also become a premier cruise ship destination. According to the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT), for this year alone as of Dec. 5, 2017, 13 cruise ships visited Boracay and brought over 17,000 tourists and more than 11,000 crew members. Three more ships are expected this December with 10,000 passengers and 4,700 crew members.
For 2018 DOT revealed that 18 cruise ships are already scheduled to visit Boracay and they are expected to bring in more than 50,000 tourists and 25,000 crew members.
Before the island resort would lose legitimate business from increasing tourists arrivals as against gamblers and other denizens that are attracted to the casinos, we hope that the municipality of Malay once again turn down any form of gambling in Boracay or worse, allow setting up a casino in the resort island! (For comments or re-actions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
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