BACOLOR, Pampanga—It looks like boy healer “Santino” and the “Fathers (priests and missionaries)” in the teleserye “May Bukas Pa” and residents and Church leaders of this town, where the TV series is shot, are battling the same issue: The operation of a casino.

The reel and real life took strong similarities as the Archdiocese of San Fernando and the Archdiocesan Council of the Laity (ACL) began hanging tarpaulins this week in protest of the operation of a casino at the King’s Royal Hotel and Leisure Park here.

A tarpaulin was also hung at the fence of a church in the village of Sto. Niño, in nearby City of San Fernando, which leads straight to Bacolor.

Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Virgilio David said San Fernando Archbishop Paciano Aniceto is “vehemently against the gaming facility.”

Invitation refused

Fr. Jess Manabat, head of the San Guillermo Parish, said he refused the invitation to lead the blessing of the facility and the launch on Oct. 17.

Coincidence or not, that was about the same time that the teleserye character “Santino” discovered the illegal gambling center in Bagong Pag-asa, a fictitious town that uses Bacolor, a deeply religious Hispanic town, as a major setting.

Iluminada Dizon, president of the San Guillermo parish pastoral council (PPC), said the director or writers of the series might have taken the idea from the local situation.

But like in the TV series’ new twists—“jueteng” and drought—Bacolor is not mentioned as the location of Bagong Pag-asa.

“I think [the creative team] is aware of what’s happening in Bacolor,” Dizon said, explaining that as early as June 16, 2008, in a public hearing that day, she expressed the objections of PPCs in San Guillermo, Cabalantian and Cabetican to the casino project.

Unanimous stand

David said the issue was raised in a meeting of the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council.

“We were unanimous in our stand against it… We are against the promotion of a gambling culture in Pampanga,” he said.

He said the proponents rushed the project to avoid opposition from the Roman Catholic Church.

The lack of proper consultation, the promotion of gambling and its being an affront to morals are reasons the ACL is against the casino, said Banjo Serrano, ACL president.

But a slot machine arcade and “not a full casino setup” is being run at King Royale’s Hotel, said lawyer Carlos Bautista Jr., vice president for corporate and legal services department of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), in a letter to Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio on Oct. 30.

Council OK

Panlilio, a Catholic priest, asked Pagcor to stop the opening of the casino.

Bautista said the proponent, the Blue Chip Gaming and Leisure Corp., secured a resolution where the town council “interposed no objection” to the operation of an exclusive club at the hotel.

Approved unanimously on June 24, 2008, Resolution No. 71-2008 did not cite Blue Chip as a proponent.

The hotel’s owner, Melchor Caluag, denied owning the casino.