PAGCOR closes casino amid Taal Volcano threat

Major volcanic irruption is set to hit the Philippines in the coming days.

The Philippines.- The threatening of an imminent, “hazardous”, eruption of the Taal Volcano, located around 70km south of Manila, has put the entire country on high alert Around 8000 people have already been evacuated from the area surrounding the volcano. As a precaution, the Philippines gaming regulator PAGCOR has decided to close the Casino Filipino in Tagaytay.

“Since the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has raised Alert Level 4, the imminent hazardous eruption is expected to affect Tagaytay City and nearby areas. Thus, resumption of operations of our casino branch in the city is indefinite as the safety of both our employees and customers is of foremost importance”, the regulator said in a statement.

“Meanwhile, PAGCOR is committed to providing assistance to our displaced and affected fellow citizens”, it concluded.

The Taal Volcano is one of the world’s smallest volcanoes but is the second most active in the Philippines, having registered 34 eruptions over the past 450 years.