CASINOS BOOST RP TOURISM
Manila, Dec. 10, 1997 - The flourishing casinos operated by the government's Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and several privately-owned casinos are now major contributors to the country's tourism industry.
PAGCOR operates the largest number of casinos in the Philippines and brings in much-needed revenue to the national coffers. In 1996 alone, PAGCOR generated about P8.8 billion in earnings.
From the billions it turns in to the national budget, PAGCOR allots 70% of its income for various government projects, aside from supporting other socio-civic undertakings.
Recently, the Philippines won accolades at the Asia-Pacific Casinos and Gaming Conference in Hong Kong, where the country was rated high by world experts and investors as a preferred investment site and as Asia's gaming hub.
Chartered flights bring in to Laoag, Subic, Clark and Cebu hundreds of thousands of Asians from neighboring countries who have developed a preference for Philippine casinos over the traditional ones in the Portuguese territory of Macao.
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