Casino Filipino Tagaytay is to resume operations on March 16, at noon. The announcement was made by casino regulator-cum-operator the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor).
Pagcor directly operates a suite of state-run casinos and oversees a number of private-sector ones. Its own brand of casinos is called “Casino Filipino”.
The town of Tagaytay is near the northwestern shore of Taal Lake, about 67 kilometres (41.6 miles) south of Metro Manila.
Operations at Casino Filipino Tagaytay were suspended in January, following an eruption of Taal Volcano — which sits on an island on Taal Lake — on January 12.
The event sent ash 1.6 kilometres up into the sky, and buried the island of Taal itself under a thick layer of ash. Subsequent reports said the ash plume reached as high as 14 kilometres, which is near the upper edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The prevailing wind then carried some ash as far as Manila, according to local media. It led to the temporary suspension of air travel via Manila International Airport, although the capital city’s casinos managed to stay open during the period.
In its latest announcement, Pagcor said that a “grand reopening ceremony” for Casino Filipino Tagaytay would be held on March 19.
It added: “Aside from the table games and slot machines which will be opened, musical shows and other forms of entertainment will welcome customers. Regular gaming operations will run 24 hours a day.”
