PAGCOR steps up employee vaccination campaign
PAGCOR continues to encourage vaccination to keep gaming sites safe.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) wants to be sure that employees at all of its owned and operated establishments are vaccinated against Covid-19.
The agency said that to date 99.59 per cent, or 12,002, of its 12,051 employees have been vaccinated. Only 0.41 per cent or 49 people were not vaccinated for health-related reasons. As of February 9, 2022, more than 60 per cent of fully vaccinated employees had received a booster shot.
The regulator pointed out that unvaccinated personnel are either on leave or working from home to ensure that all PAGCOR play areas and work areas are managed by fully vaccinated personnel.
PAGCOR management has been working closely with host city local governments and government entities such as the Metro Manila Development Authority to provide booster shots to its fully vaccinated employees.
Andrea Domingo, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, stated: “We want our customers to feel safe and comfortable when they visit our establishments that is why we aimed for a hundred per cent vaccination rate among our personnel to thwart incidences of infection among employees and guests.”
She added: “We have seen how the pandemic has taken a toll on our revenue generation and contributions to nation-building, particularly our remittances to national coffers.
“To stay committed to our mission, at the same time to ensure the welfare of employees and guests, our Casino Filipino (CF) branches and Satellite Operations Groups (SOGs) have upped the ante by taking further safety procedures in their properties.”
Authorities have announced the Philippines will reopen its borders to fully vaccinated tourists from February 10. The Philippines had initially planned to reopen in December 2021 following an increase in vaccinations and a drop in Covid-19 infections, however, an outbreak of the Omicron strain stopped those plans.
The government will also lift quarantine requirements for foreign tourists subject to a negative test for Covid-19.
PAGCOR net income down 87% in 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions
The regulator has reported that net income for the year 2021 was down 86.9 per cent year-on-year to PHP203.6m (US$4.0m). According to the regulator, the drop was mainly due to multiple countermeasures and lockdowns associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pagcor’s gross gaming revenue excluding taxes and donations was down 9.4 per cent from PHP20.26bn in 2020 to PHP18.35bn in 2021.
