PAGCOR warns of lower contributions to Universal Healthcare as agency losing P15M daily from quarantines

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) on Wednesday warned of lower contributions to the Universal Health Care (UHC), as the agency estimates P15 million in daily losses due to the community quarantines.

In a virtual briefing on Wednesday, PAGCOR chair and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo said the prolonged quarantines could half the agency's revenues this year.

This year's earnings could fall to about P16 billion to P17 billion should quarantine restrictions remain at current levels. Earnings were recorded at P30 billion in 2020, and P80 billion in 2019.

Domingo said PAGCOR remitted some P18 billion to the UHC in 2020, which could decline significantly this year if the quarantines continue.

"In 2021 I'm afraid that maybe only around P5 billion or even less and that makes us feel very sad," Domingo said in a mix of English and Filipino during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay virtual forum.

"We have so many problems with COVID and if we continue with this trend then we will not be able to help at all," she added.

Under its mandate, PAGCOR is required to regulate the gaming industry, generate revenues for the Philippine government's socio-civic and national development programs, and help promote the tourism industry.

PAGCOR partly funds the Universal Healthcare Law signed by President Rodrigo Duterte in 2020, along with the budget of the Department of Health (DOH), sin tax revenues, contributions of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

"Right now, what I am maintaining is an opex (operating expenditure) that is really fat-free to the bone but I do not want to terminate a single employee of PAGCOR," said Domingo.

"From the lowest to the highest ranks, we would like to keep their compensation intact until we recover," she added.

The PAGCOR chief noted, however, that the agency could partly recover if the government chooses to loosen quarantine restrictions and local governments allow the gaming industry to reopen.

"I think if MGCQ (modified general community quarantine) would be declared or GCQ (general community quarantine) will be declared in the next two weeks in Manila, we may be able to recoup some of our losses," she said.

The NCR Plus bubble—Metro Manila Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Bulacan—was placed under the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from April 12 until April 30.

This is one notch looser than the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) which was imposed in the bubble starting March 29. It was set to last only until April 4, but was extended for another week until April 11.—AOL, GMA News