The Same Old Thing: Manila’s Casinos Are Missed Out Again!

Article by : Eva Reed Aug 13, 2020

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Disappointing news for the entire casino industry in Manila has just come. Now no one doubts that gambling houses will have to postpone the opening schedule by at least two weeks in advance. However, the worst part is that these dates are preliminary, and it is too early to make accurate reopening predictions.

According to President Rodrigo Duterte, due to the worsening epidemiological situation associated with the spread of coronavirus infection, the government is forced to introduce an enhanced MECQ quarantine in the Metro Manila area.

It is worth noting that earlier in this territory, a general quarantine was introduced. It allowed 75% of the business to continue its activities. The government initially imposed restrictions on the activities of entertainment establishments and enterprises, which provides for a mass gathering of people.

The de facto transition to stricter quarantine measures means that most non-essential services that have already experienced a drop in revenue will be closed again.

Believe it or not, such steps were very obvious last week. According to information from the presidential office, the government has made a clear decision that if the number of cases exceeds 85,000 people, stricter quarantine restrictions will be introduced. In fact, over a weekly period, the country passed the mark of 93,000 cases of infection. As a result, the president was forced to announce the transition to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ).

Nevertheless, the public, led by representatives of doctors and nurses, perceived such steps very ambiguously. The thing is that the government has not provided concrete steps to deal with the further deterioration of the epidemiological situation. Such confusion has arisen since, after the announcement of information that 38,000 patients were able to overcome Covid-19, the government did not provide any data to prove this information. Such steps by officials have brought real confusion to society and caused a whole wave of negativity.

As soon as this information was brought to President Duterte, he immediately tried to reduce the degree of protest moods. According to the president, he understands the heavy burden medical workers have faced, being at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19.

It seems like the move from GCQ to MECQ is clearly the most effective step of the government. The introduction of stern restrictive measures will affect public transport. It will now cease to function. As for the enterprises that are engaged in the production of priority products, they will continue their activities.

The previous quarantine stage still allowed restaurants to conduct business activities, taking into account the mandatory social distance. After the transition to more stringent measures, it becomes clear that such steps will cause significant damage to resorts and other related businesses.

According to official information, the introduction of the MECQ measures will last from 4 to 18 August. The government expects that, under the ideal set of circumstances, the number of illnesses will drop significantly from the current figure of 5,000 cases per day. Perhaps after the epidemiological situation becomes more optimistic, Metro Manila will be able to return to GCQ again.

Such a transition can become a real lifeline for gambling establishments, which will reopen their doors in about a month. Nevertheless, the actual date when gambling houses will be able to restart their business is still unknown.
Recall that over the past 5 years, the Philippine casino industry has shown steady growth. Almost all gambling establishments in the Philippines are luxury hotels with a high level of service. Before the closure due to Covid-19, casinos were entirely focused on attracting a younger audience and thereby developing the entertainment sector.