NAVAL, Alex Jr. V.

Rizal’s Life, Works, and Writings

E5C – BSCE Prof. Laura O. De Guzman

 Topic 11: On the Indolence of Filipinos

A Short Paragraph about the Details of Gambling in the Philippines

One of the negative habits of Filipinos is gambling. Gambling in the Philippines has been
present in the country since at least the sixteenth century. Various legal and illegal forms of
gambling are found almost all over the archipelago. Though technically it is a bad habit, casino
gambling and integrated resorts have become a key component of the Philippines appeal as a
tourist destination with more than twenty casinos found in Metro Manila alone, thus contributing
to the growth of economy of our country.

During the Spanish occupation, gambling become rampant across the country. It became
institutionalized in the forms of cockpits, card parlors, billiard halls, and the like. Later than that,
lotteries, horseracing and casinos had been established. Government then and now, continues to
study the different aspects that is being affected due to this practice for them to devise reforms
and strategies that will benefit the economy. Since then, reforms had been made in order to
control the practice of gambling in the country. One example of the government’s strategies is by
establishing the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), a state-owned
enterprise which operates different forms of gambling legally, in which they manage the said
agency in benefit of our country.

Aside from the fact that the country’s economy benefits on it, the reason why gambling is
still being operated despite of it being a negative practice is that we Filipinos have been
preconditioned on our mind that gambling can be a solution to avoid hard work, and that the
promise of sudden wealth is captivating even before.