Sunday, June 1, 2008 [ philstar.com ]
BALER, Aurora – The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is eyeing to harness the tourism potentials of this province through the development of infrastructures expected to perk up the local tourism industry and create jobs for local folks.
Pagcor chairman Efraim Genuino told newsmen here yesterday that the province is one of the possible areas where the gaming firm may set up tourism facilities in support of the program being initiated by the Angaras.
“Aurora holds a lot of promise, it has vast potentials and we at Pagcor are willing to provide all the help we can give the province,” he said, citing the province’s sceneries and clean water systems.
The Pagcor chairman met with Sen. Edgardo Angara and his younger sister, Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo at the Bahia de Baler here to discuss possible projects that the state gaming firm could possibly extend to the province. Genuino noted that the province would also benefit from the development of the Tourism City being pushed by Pagcor in terms of employment generation. He said that for every job generated in the proposed Tourism City, it will have a multiplier effect of between seven to eight additional benefits. “That’s easily 400,000 jobs that will be generated in the Tourism City alone which have several multiplier effects,” he said.
Genuino also visited the Aurora Training Institute (ATI) and Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT). He promised to augment the training phase for students and vowed to have them hired in the proposed Tourism City.
Angara-Castillo said one of the main thrusts of the provincial government is to turn the province into a tourism mecca catering to both foreign and domestic tourists.
The Provincial Tourism Office said that the tourist spots of the province are waiting to be discovered by tourists such as beaches, waterfalls, caves and surfing sites and historical sites.
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