Casino sa Bora itigil — Abante (Beaches, not baccarat, peace and tranquility; not poker tournaments)

UMAPELA si Deputy Speaker at Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante kay Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na huwag payagan ang paglalagay ng mga casino sa isla ng Boracay, sa Kalibo, Aklan.

Habang naghahanda ang mga developer sa pagtatayo ng mga casino, sinabi ni Abante sa pangulo na dapat protektahan ang magandang isla ng Boracay.

Sa liham na tinangap ng Malacañang noong 3 Setyembre,  hinimok ni Abante si Duterte na protektahan ang “crown jewel of Philippine tourism.”

“Mr. President, people from here and all over the world go to Boracay for its beaches, not baccarat; they flock to the island for peace and tranquility, not poker tournaments,” giit ni Abante.

“This representation humbly appeals to Your Excellency to save Boracay again –-– by keeping it gambling-free and by preventing it from becoming a cesspool of casinos.”

Ipinaliwanag ni Abante, hindi solusyon ang pagbubukas ng casino sa Boracay sa napapariwarang ekonomiya ng bansa dahil sa pandemyang dulot ng CoVid-19.

“The ongoing CoVid-19 pandemic has stretched our financial resources and –– due to its adverse effects on the economy –– has negatively impacted government revenue streams.

“Opening Boracay to gambling is not the answer.”

Aniya kumikita ng bilyong-bilyong piso ang Boracay bago pa nagkapandemya dahil sa dagsa ng mga turista.

“According to data from the Department of Tourism, in the first 10 months of 2019 tourism in Boracay generated a total of 49.86 billion pesos in revenue due to its 1.74 million visitors. This figure is 151.76% greater than that of the same period in the preceding year,” paliwanag ni Abante.  (GERRY BALDO)