The council of the Philippines’ most popular city, Quezon City, says there have been no formal applications to build a casino within its borders after a group of “concerned citizens” published an open letter to the media earlier this week.
The Philippines Inquirer reported on Wednesday that the City Council had responded to the group with a letter of its own in which it stated, “For the information of the general public, the City Council has not received any application from Bloomberry or any gaming industry operator signifying their intention to establish a casino in Quezon City.”
The original notice from concerned citizens cited the passing of the Gambling Regulatory Ordinance of 2017, which would “allow the development of Bloomberry’s new casino hotel.” It added that the casino would negatively impact students at nearby schools and universities.
“The planned casino destroys the city’s sanctity as a major education hub,” the letter said. “It also disrespects the students and their families who have worked very hard to live close to high-quality and holistic education.”
Bloomberry Resorts Chairman Enrique Razon said last year that he hoped to start construction on a Php1.9 billion integrated resort “similar to Solaire” in Quezon City in 2018.