CEO UNDERSCORES SURVIVAL IN THE HOMEGROWN PAGCOR’S ROLE IN TIME OF COVID 19 BETS POST-COVID-19 PAGCORIANS VENTURE AVP Hernando Apigo PH ECONOMIC INTO BUSINESS GM Jethro Chancoco RECOVERY AMID PANDEMIC VP Tomas A. Consolacion, Jr PAGE 2 CENTERSPREAD TO PAGE 12 P20 The APRIL TO JUNE 2020 INSIDEROfficial Newsletter of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation www.pagcor.ph Land-based casinos prepare for resumption of operations Strict health and safety protocols slated FTER four months of temporary suspension due to the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (CO- AVID-19) pandemic, land-based casinos may be able to resume operations once community quarantine restrictions further ease up. In line with this, PAGCOR submitted its recommenda- tion to the Inter-Agency Task Force for COVID-19 (IATF) last May, to allow the resump- If approved under tion of casino operations with the proposed safety and health the modified protocols. According to PAGCOR general community Chairman and CEO Andrea D. quarantine (MGCQ), Domingo, the safety protocols are well-crafted and are even PAGCOR hopes to more stringent compared to provide job security other businesses that are now in operation. for most of the “If approved under the modified general community gaming employees quarantine (MGCQ), PAGCOR in the country. hopes to provide job security for most of the gaming employ- CF branches nationwide prepare for the reopening of operations. In photo are CF Olongapo personnel ees in the country. It is also disinfecting the branch’s gaming equipment and furniture. during this phase that the local gaming industry transitions to cially frequent-contact surfac- ance to social distancing, pro- Gradually, said procedures the new normal.” – Andrea D. Domingo es and high-touch items. vision of alcohol on each gam- shall ease up depending on Domingo added that under PAGCOR Chairman “Once the suspension is lift- ing table and other high-traffic the improvement of the gen- the new normal, all gaming ed, all licensed casinos must areas, limiting the player ca- eral situation in the country. establishments which will re- areas multiple times a day. follow the procedures. These pacity to no more than 50% , no “PAGCOR shall likewise abide sume operations have to fol- Workplaces, gaming floors and include wearing of facemask standing bettors and no loiter- by the protocols and recom- low strict health protocols, back-of-house areas will be and face shield while inside the ing in the gaming areas at all ................................................................ such as disinfection of gaming cleaned round the clock, espe- establishment, strict compli- times,” Domingo cited. LAND-BASED P8 Deputy Trea- surer Sha- PAGCOR ron Alman- za (2nd from increases left) formally re- ceives the check cash dividends representing PAGCOR’s P5 remittances billion cash divi- dends remit- tance from AVP to P17 billion for Fund Man- FTER agement and A remitting over P12 bil- Administrative lion in cash dividends earlier Department Ma- this year, PAGCOR turned over ria Cynthia Paz an additional P5 billion cash at the Bureau dividends to the National Trea- of Treasury of- sury on June 5, 2020, bringing fice in Intra- muros, Manila. the agency’s total dividend con- With them in tribution for 2019 to P17 billion. photo are Trea- The agency’s latest remit- sury Opera- tance was mainly in support of tions Officer IV the government's fight against Purita Belgica the Novel Coronavirus Dis- (extreme left) and PAGCOR ease-2019 (COVID-19) pan- Senior Manager demic. ................................................................ May Pineda (ex- treme right). CASH DIVIDENDS P3 THE PAGCOR INSIDER 2 April-June 2020 NEWS Domingo underscores PAGCOR’s role in securing PH’s economic future post-COVID-19 during ICE-SIGMA Asia Digital confab HILIPPINE Amuse- contributions, we recently (POGOs) that significantly con- ing events such as the ICE- contributed P12 billion cash tributed to PAGCOR’s revenue SIGMA Asia Digital conference ment and Gam- dividends to the National generation efforts under the will help broaden the agency’s Ping Corporation Treasury. We also gave P2.5 current management. market and establish its pres- (PAGCOR) Chairman billion to the Office of the “From P56 million contribu- ence not just in the Philip- and CEO Andrea Do- President (OP) to help the De- tions before 2016, it is now a pines and Asia, but all over the partment of Health purchase multi-billion peso revenue-gen- world. mingo underscored the personal protective equip- erating operation regulated by “By participating in events significant role that the ment (PPEs) and medical PAGCOR,” she said. like this, PAGCOR will learn local gaming industry equipment they need to fight POGOs also contributed to from what other gaming regu- COVID. We likewise gave the government’s revenue gen- lators and operators have been will play in securing the P12 billion to the OP’s Socio- eration efforts, according to doing in trying to cope with Philippines’ economic Civic Projects Fund, a portion Domingo. “Whatever PAGCOR the situation that we all are in future post-COVID-19. of which is being used to pro- earns, 75% goes back to na- right now,” Domingo said. vide free medicines to gov- tional government. We retain She emphasized the im- In her keynote address dur- ernment hospitals and mili- 25% for our socio-civic proj- portance of harmonizing all ing the kick-off of ICE-SIGMA tary officials every month,” ects, our operating expenses, gaming-related laws that other Asia Digital conference on Domingo shared. our marketing expenses, and government agencies are im- June 8, 2020, Domingo said Recently, PAGCOR also re- for the socio-civic projects of posing on POGO operators. that the resumption of gaming mitted an additional P5 billion the President of the Philip- Organized by Clarion Gam- operations in the country will cash dividends to the National pines,” she cited. ing, the ICE-SIGMA Asia Digi- not only benefit PAGCOR and Treasury, bringing the agen- The PAGCOR chief mean- tal 2020 was a free online con- the government but will also cy’s cash dividends contribu- while assured that as the regu- ference which ran from June trigger economic activities. tion for 2019 to P17 billion. lator and operator of casinos 8-10, 2020. Event topics includ- Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo de- “The local gaming industry livers the Keynote Message during the Meanwhile, on the second in the country, PAGCOR en- ed future of gaming, tech inno- employs about 132,000 direct ICE-SIGMA Asia Digital Conference on day of SIGMA Asia Digital sures that there is a level play- vation, e-Sports opportunity, hires. It also generates many June 8, 2020. conference on June 9, 2020 – ing field, where players are Asian Marketing trends and other economic activities and which focused on the potential protected and government rev- how the market will recover businesses like restaurants, and sustainability of the online enues are properly collected. post-COVID-19. hotels, malls in Integrated Re- gaming industry – Domingo She likewise noted that PAG- ....................................... sorts (IRs), services, transport emphasized the economic COR looks forward to rise from Text: Darren B. Agaton and real estate. There will be potential of the Philippine the challenges brought by the and Ciara E. Mabalot more economic employment Offshore Gaming operations COVID-19 pandemic. Support- CEO Photo: Jesus S. Casabar opportunities when other gam- We would have been ing stations and casinos open,” doing very well but For more she said. than two Domingo is hopeful that then COVID came, decades, ICE PAGCOR’s owned and oper- and somehow we events have ated casinos can resume op- taken place in erations in June or at the very have to take three London, North latest in July. America and steps back. But Africa. Past “We would have been do- exhibitions ing very well but then COVID we’re going to get (left) have came, and somehow we have allowed to take three steps back. But back and provide delegates to we’re going to get back and discover new funding for the gaming and provide funding for the govern- interactive ment which is badly needed government which solutions. now,” she cited. PAGCOR, according to Do- is badly needed mingo, has been contributing now. significantly to the national cof- fers because of effective regula- tions and operations. Apart from its mandated contributions, the agency turned over a hefty amount for the government’s – Andrea D. Domingo COVID-19 response efforts. PAGCOR Chairman “Aside from our mandated THE PAGCOR INSIDER 3 April-June 2020 NEWS CASH DIVIDENDS FROM PAGE 1 On March 23, 2020, PAG- PAGCOR authorizes partial COR turned over P12 billion to the state coffers. With the agency’s additional re- resumption of POGO operations mittance, it remains as the AGCOR third highest contributor has given the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) the green light to par- of cash dividends for 2019 tially resume operations in the country, subject to stringent conditions. The decision was among the government- Preached with the intention of helping the national government raise necessary funds to com- owned and controlled cor- bat the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. porations (GOCCs), next to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Citing the revenues from and Philippine Deposit In- POGOs as a significant surance Corporation. source of funds that would According to PAGCOR supplement efforts to curb Chairman and CEO Andrea the health crisis, PAGCOR Domingo, the release of ad- Chairman and CEO Andrea ditional cash dividends is Domingo said the manage- pursuant to Republic Act ment allowed the partial re- 11469, otherwise known opening of POGOs, without as Bayanihan to Heal as violating the health and safe- One Act, and the Republic ty guidelines provided by the Act 7656, which requires government.