A Gaming Casino Again?

SOME thought of the business community and civil society over the weekend on the return of a gamingcasino in our city deserves a review by both our elected local and national legislators of Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental.

The public pulse is whether we host the casino right smack in the city proper or find alternative location for the casino in some areas away from the residential zones, schools and places of worships and not just in any 200 meters distant radius as prescribed by law.

An economic zone in Misamis Oriental is just 21 kilometers from City Hall and about 35 minutes travel time by car. It is an enterprise zone reserved but which is not fully occupied by manufacturing locators.
The zone was created by Presidential Decree No. 358, which amended to the original P. D. 253 otherwise known as the Philippine Veterans Industrial Development Corporation or PHIVIDEC which is a good alternative to host a casino and other leisure locators.

As a backgrounder, P. D. 358 was promulgated in August 13, 1974 during the incumbency of the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos when the Philippines were under Martial Law. It has the vision for the industrialization and economic development of southern Philippines through job creation both for retired military officials and the growing manpower force in the technical field of engineering and labor.
Inspired perhaps by the success of the Iligan Integrated Steel Mills in the early 70’s, Marcos has the PHIVIDEC charter drafted designed for industrial and manufacturing activities in Misamis Oriental with the military in mind as beneficiary.

During those years, nothing of the information technology (IT) or electronic gaming (E-Games) was then heard off when P. D. 358, was promulgated. In comparison today, the information technology (IT) form the backbone of doing business worldwide through fast and efficient transmission of data and communication infrastructure that shape business, banking and industries.