DepEd: Pasay gets P27M casino-funded classrooms

The Jose Rizal Elementary School in Malibay, Pasay City, will have nine new classrooms this year courtesy of casino revenues.

A P27-million, three-story building for  nine classrooms will be constructed by Resorts World Manila, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

The new classrooms, however, will not yet be ready in time for the start of the next school year in June since construction will take six months.

The donation is mandated by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), which requires licensed casinos to set aside part of their revenues for civic projects, including the construction of classrooms.

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro described Pagcor as the department’s “biggest and most important partner” in classroom construction.

Pagcor president and chief operating officer Jorge Sarmiento said the school construction project was  funded by two percent of the gross gaming revenues from licensed casinos.

DepEd and Pagcor on Friday signed a memorandum of agreement for the school project with Travellers International Hotel Group Inc., Manila Bayshore Heritage Foundation Inc. and the Pasay city government.

Other classroom construction projects are in the pipeline for schools in Parañaque and Mandaluyong cities. Dona Z. Pazzibugan