Duterte reiterates opposition to casinos
A land lease agreement between a Korean casino operator and a corporate subsidiary of the Philippines Department of Tourism has been suspended because the operator does not yet have a gaming license.
According to Inside Asian Gaming, Landing International Development is planning an integrated resort in Manila’s Entertainment City gaming zone. But the Philippines Commission on Audit ordered the Nayong Pilipino Foundation, a state-owned corporation under the Department of Tourism, to temporarily shelve the lease agreement it signed with Landing until relevant licenses are obtained from both from the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp., the state-run regulator and the National Economic Development Authority.
Landing’s IR, which includes plans for a theme park, is unofficially and long-windedly known as Nayong Pilipino Theme Park, Water Park & Movie-based Theme Park. It’s to be located on 9.5 hectares (23.5 acres) near Bloomberry’s Solaire Resort & Casino, Melco Resorts’ City of Dream Manila and Universal Entertainment’s Okada Manila integrated resorts in Entertainment City.
The setback originated with complaints filed by Maria Fema T. Duterte, an NPF board member and niece of President Rodrigo Duterte. In May, she accused fellow board members of criminal conduct including dereliction of duty. She said NPF OK’d the land lease deal at a cut-rate price. The Commission on Audit agreed that the NPF had approved Landing’s proposal “without conducting an independent appraisal and advertisement to the public to solicit offers from other interested parties to ensure that the proposal is the most advantageous to the government.”
The deal was first announced in April after several meetings in 2017 between Landing Chairman Yang Zhihui and President Duterte. At the time, Yang said the resort would “comprise Asia’s first movie-themed indoor theme park, waterpark as well as many other leisure and entertainment facilities suited for all ages and families.
“When opened, the branded theme park/integrated resort will enhance Philippines’ tourism appeal, complement the existing tourists’ attractions and resorts as well as create significant employment opportunities for the locals as well as returning Filipinos who are currently working overseas.”
On June 22, Landing told GGRAsia it still considers it has a “legally-binding contract” for land in the Metro Manila area. “We are not informed that the land lease contract is cancelled, and we are not aware of any reason or ground for cancellation of the lease contract,” the company wrote in an email.
