The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the country’s gaming regulator, says it has allocated an aggregate of PHP50.39 million (US$854,186) in assistance to families affected by Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan, two storms that caused widespread devastation in various parts of the country.
A written announcement cited Pagcor chairman and chief executive, Alejandro Tengco, saying the agency utilised the funds to procure 31,500 relief packs, containing food and non-food essentials for distribution in some of the country’s hardest-hit provinces.
“Following the onslaught of Typhoon Tino in early November, we already turned over 15,000 relief packs worth PHP14.78 million to the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) … to help affected communities,” Mr Tengco said.
As per the release, another batch of 16,500 relief packs, worth PHP18.07 million, is “currently being dispatched” to communities impacted by Super Typhoon Uwan.
The Senate of the Philippines also received relief packs from the latter batch for its outreach initiative, noted the regulator.
“In times of calamities, Pagcor will always be ready to step in and extend support to our fellow Filipinos,” Mr Tengco stated.
In addition to the relief drive, Pagcor said it also donated 2,000 computer tablets worth PHP17.54 million to cities in the Visayas to support learners in the wake of recent disasters.
Of that total, 1,000 tablets will go to the Cebu City government, while the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod will each receive 500 units for distribution to public schools, noted the agency.
“Through this donation, we hope to help learners continue their studies despite the challenges brought by the recent calamities,” Mr Tengco added. “Education is key to building a better future, and Pagcor will always be a partner in making that possible.”
