The Department of Justice on Friday recommended the issuance of an executive order (EO) to ban casinos and gambling activities in the country’s top tourist destination, Boracay.
In a press conference with the Boracay Inter-agency Task Force, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra took issue with the gambling activities by tourists, noting that Boracay is a “family-oriented” place.
“Ang konsepto ng Boracay is a family-oriented activity and not meant for foreigners or tourists who will come to Boracay not to enjoy the place but to engage in gambling so that is the main idea there why we recommended the issuance of the executive order,” Guevarra said.
(The concept of Boracay is a family-oriented activity and not meant for foreigners or tourists who will come to Boracay not to enjoy the place but to engage in gambling so that is the main idea there why we recommended the issuance of the executive order.)
He added that the EO was meant to “guide not only the current administration but also for a longer term.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said they requested the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to remove the permits of existing casinos in the resort island.
Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat reiterated that the policy was requested by President Rodrigo Duterte in a Cabinet meeting.