Gambling in Boracay Island?

BUT WHAT WILL THE CARDINAL SAY?
By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY
BORACAY – This island paradise continues to attract tourists and investors … and possibly gambling investors, too.
Gaming institutions expand in the country, especially with the go signal given by the government to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s Small Town Lottery to curb illegal gambling operations in the countryside.
In this world-renowned Boracay, investors are likely to put up such kind of investment. But this may put some sectors in the community in a quandary.
And what would Aklan’s most illustrious son, the late Jaime Cardinal Sin, say if he were alive?
If he were alive today, Cardinal Sin would surely challenge the operation of STL and casino.
Curiously, in a book written by the country’s National Artist for Literature, Nick Joaquin, Sin bared his real sentiments on the matter.
“We speak but we do not insist; we know the State has its own prerogative,” he told Joaquin in the book “Cardinal Virtues” published by the Brown Madonna Press early this year.
“But every citizen should be encouraged to speak up. In a free country, everybody should be heard,” the Aklanon prelate once said to Joaquin, who used his pseudonym Quijano de Manila in “Cardinal Virtues” – a collection of his stories on the Cardinal.
Despite his being vocal, according to Joaquin, the cleric respected the separation of the Church and State, particularly in intervening on issues hounding the community.
“Today you can safely discuss even a hot issue like gambling. Isn’t it illegal?” Sin asked, wrote Joaquin, who had 10 one-on-one interviews with the Cardinal whom the worldknows best as the crucial force behind the 1986 EDSA “People Power” Revolution.
In Iloilo City, prior to the operation of the Small Town Lottery, some concerned groups, particularly the Church, expressed opposition. But with the proper evaluation on the favorable sentiments of village officials and residents, city officials backed its operation.Next week, STL will be marking its first year of operation in Iloilo City.
Joaquin wrote further on the Cardinal: “But certain groups who want a casino in Mandaluyong are claiming that gambling is legal. It may be legal, but is it moral? However, we now keep quiet on the issue because they have made their decision. We have already said our piece,” the cleric once said.
Sin added, “Same thing with the death penalty. We argued that it’s not proper to kill a person for misbehavior. But the lawmakers have decided that it’s right and proper. And since they made their decision, we have kept quiet on the issue too.”
Meanwhile, the provincial government of Aklan is optimistic of reaching its target of one million tourists in Boracay by 2010, said Aklan Provincial Planning Officer, Engr. Roger Esto.
Esto said nearly 600,000 tourists were recorded to have visited Boracay Island in 2006. He noted that the flights direct from South Korea to Aklan boosted the number of tourists in the island.
Esto said Boracay is getting good exposure with the island now becoming a venue of major international conventions.
Next month, Boracay is again finding direct access to the world’s biggest tourism market with Philippine Airlines' opening of its direct flight from Shanghai, China to Kalibo, Aklan (starting October 1).
Percy Mallonesio, head of the Air Transportation Office (ATO)-Kalibo, said executives from PAL have confirmed that their airbus fleet will land at the Kalibo Airport with Chinese passengers bound for Boracay.
"PAL was inspired by the success of the ongoing daily flight from Incheon, South Korea of other airline companies. It hopes to become successful in these new international direct flights," Malonesio said.
The travel time from Shanghai to Kalibo is about four to five hours, according to the ATO.
The PAL maiden flight is expected around 6 a.m. of October 1.
Asian Spirit made a historic landing at the Kalibo Airport last May 11 with its first international flight bound for Boracay from Incheon. It started its six-day flight in July. Meantime, one airline company from China also expressed interest to open a direct flight to Kalibo.
"Executives of the Spring Airline have made proper coordination with our office and they are planning to have a daily flight from Kalibo to Shanghai, China soon," Malonesio said.