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PAGCOR inaugurates two-storey evacuation facilities in Aurora and Quezon Province

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Residents of Dingalan, Aurora now have a typhoon-resilient evacuation facility to turn to in times of calamities, following the inauguration of the municipality’s P50 million worth Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center (MPEC) on June 16, 2022. The two-storey structure was funded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Dingalan’s picturesque mountains, scenic beaches and pristine waterfalls make it a go-to haven of tourists who wish to commune with nature and experience exciting adventures. However, the rainy season poses a great threat to the municipality, which is often battered by destructive typhoons.

Locals, especially those from the coastal communities of Barangay Matawe, Barangay Ibona and Barangay Umiray, often scurry to evacuate to nearby schools, which serve as temporary evacuation centers.

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Ibona’s Barangay Captain Ricardo Balala Jr. said their situation is far from ideal because the classrooms, which they use as evacuation facilities during calamities, are not designed for such purpose. “Kapag nagkakaroon ng kalamidad gaya ng malalakas na bagyo, hinihiram namin ang Ibona Elementary School at tsaka ang Ibona National High School bilang evacuation center ng aming mga residenteng nasa risk area,” he said.

Meanwhile, farmer and Dingalan local Roberto Modesto recalled the ordeals that he and his family experience during times of calamities, such as typhoons. “Kasi dito ang iingatan mo sa panahon ng kalamidad ay dalawa: ‘yung pag-angat ng tubig at yung pag-bira nung hangin. Kasi pag-angat ng tubig, baha iyan diba? At ‘yung pag-bira ng hangin, sisira ng bahay iyan. Nasubukan na namin ‘yung hindi kami makalikas dahil hindi kami makatawid. Nasubukan na din namin ‘yung sa ilalim ng puno ng Narra kami naka-puwesto. Sira na kasi ‘yung bahay namin. Meron naman kaming mga kapote at trapal. Pinag-susuklob na lang. Ganon ‘yung sitwasyon. Mahirap dahil gustuhin mo man lumikas, kapag pumunta ka sa barrio wala ka namang lilikasan,” he said.

According to Dingalan Mayor Shierwin Taay, the MPEC in their area is a realization of a long-time dream. “Salamat sa Diyos dahil ang pangarap na ito na magkaroon ng isang landmark building sa timog bahagi ng Dingalan ay nagkaroon ng katuparan sa araw na ito. Maraming maraming salamat po sa PAGCOR,” he said.

Apart from the inauguration of the MPEC in Dingalan, two newly-constructed PAGCOR-funded MPECs in San Andres, Quezon are now ready to provide safe shelter to locals who are often displaced by natural calamities after the inauguration of said evacuation facilities on June 11, 2022.

With a total of P77.90 million funding from PAGCOR, the local government of San Andres was able to hasten the construction of a two-storey MPEC in Brgy. Mangero and a covered court type evacuation center in Brgy. Poblacion.

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PAGCOR President and COO Alfredo Lim who graced the inauguration events in San Andres, underscored the agency’s commitment to nation-building through its various Corporate Social Responsibility programs. “Being our flagship program, the Multi-Purpose Evacuation Centers project has been designed to help safeguard the lives and protect the welfare of our less privileged kababayans who have no safe place to go during extreme weather conditions. This project has been made possible because of the dedication and commitment of our employees, who made PAGCOR’s revenue generation efforts possible, even amidst the pandemic,” he said.

Also, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo expressed optimism that more MPECs will be completed in the coming weeks. “I am confident that our partner LGUs will continue to fast-track the construction of these evacuation facilities before the typhoon season. We all know how vulnerable our country is to climate change and these evacuation facilities will serve as their safe havens,” she cited.

Since its launch in 2020, PAGCOR has allotted P3.5 billion for the project. Of this amount, P2.024 billion has been released for 73 sites. A total of ten MPECs in Aurora, Quezon Province, Tarlac, Albay, Capiz and the towns of Sagñay, San Jose, Tigaon and Ocampo in Camarines Sur were completed.

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Asia

Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit

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Onlyplay has entered into a strategic partnership with online casino and betting company Ritchie Rabbit within the Asia region.

Ritchie Rabbit is said to have “extensive expertise and deep understanding of the Asian market,” which helps Onlyplay as it seeks to expand its presence in the region.

Through this deal, Onlyplay will introduce a range of games and features designed specifically for the Asian gaming community.

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Onlyplay offers a wide range of games such as instant win, slots and crash games, and will now provide games for players in Asia.

Christina Muratkina, CEO of Onlyplay, said: “It is a great pleasure for us to develop the Asian region alongside Ritchie Rabbit. We recognize the immense potential of the Asian market and are committed to delivering top-notch gaming content and experiences to players in the region. This partnership represents a significant step forward in our efforts to offer innovative and engaging games that resonate with our Asian audience.”

The post Onlyplay Enters into Strategic Partnership with Ritchie Rabbit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering

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Hub88 has partnered with live casino supplier LiveGames, further strengthening its product offering by adding a unique range of content to its platform.

LiveGames provides fully customisable online live dealer games and branded tables including the first vertical roulette table in the sector, along with crash games and the widely played Tombola.

The supplier delivers experiences with a player-focused design, easy to use mobile interface, and high-resolution broadcasts.

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The partnership will support LiveGames’ goal to further expand in international markets, including Africa, Asia, and Latin America where Hub88 has a strong presence.

The deal showcases Hub88’s commitment to grow its ecosystem of partners, offering a diverse portfolio of products and content.

Ollie Castleman, Head of Hub88, said: “We’re thrilled to unveil this strategic partnership with LiveGames which sees us add a great provider to our platform, one that utilises modern technology to offer bespoke and personalised gaming experiences to players.

“We are looking forward to collaborating and strengthening our content library with their diverse games.”

The LiveGames Team said: “Our journey started in a small studio and as a team, we are excited about now expanding to every corner of the world together with Hub88 and their extensive operator network.

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“We are committed to promoting innovation in the industry and this partnership will support us on that mission.”

The post Hub88 partners with LiveGames to enhance content offering appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling

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Indonesian President Joko Widodo has chaired a limited meeting which discussed the efforts taken to eradicate online gambling in the country on Thursday 18 April, at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Budi Arie Setiadi, in his press statement after the limited meeting, said that the Government will form a task force to counter online gambling.

“It has been decided that within a week, we will formulate measures to form an integrated task force in order to eradicate online gambling,” Budi said.

Minister for Communication and Information Technology mentioned that forming a cross-ministries/institutions task force is aimed to handle online gambling more thoroughly, collaboratively and efficiently.

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“Gambling is an illegal act based on regulations. So, we need to impose measures effectively to settle it,” Budi stated, adding that his ministry will focus on handling online gambling websites and contents, while the law enforcement officers will enforce the law.

“Our authority is only to take down the websites, while the Financial Services Authority (OJK) blocks their financial accounts, and then followed by law enforcement officers, police officers, and the public prosecution service officers,” he remarked.

Similarly, OJK’s Chairperson of Commissioner Board Mahendra Siregar also highlighted the importance of holistic measures in eradicating online gambling in Indonesia.

“Some online gambling activities are not conducted in Indonesia, some are cross-borders, some do not use bank accounts, some needs to be tracked and traced through bank accounts, including transfers and so on. So, the next layers must also be addressed, and that way it leaves no empty rooms,” Mahendra explained.

Mahendra said that according to the institution’s authority, from the end of 2023 to March 2024, OJK has blocked around 5000 bank accounts that indicate its relation to online gambling.

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“So far, we have cooperated closely with Communications and Information Technology Ministry. So, if we receive a list of bank accounts suspected to be used or are being used in online gambling activities, we immediately block them, and it has reached up to 5000 bank accounts,” Mahendra mentioned.

The post Indonesian Govt to Form Task Force to Tackle Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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