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Monday, July 15, 2002
Bingo games soon to hit city
By Marites Espartero
THE city government will earn at least P5,000 pesos a month from the scheduled operation of bingo in Zamboanga City that will begin once the city enacts the ordinance supporting its operation.
The P5,000 income represents half of the one percent share of the city from the expected P1 million monthly gross income of the bingo operations.
City Councilor Cesar Jimenez, co-author of the bingo ordinance said bingo is a legal game unlike jueteng, which is a kind of gambling, banned by the government nationwide.
"Bingo can be authorized by law," he said.
The proposed bingo ordinance is based on Article X, Section 5 of the 1987 Constitution, which grant to each Local Government Unit the power to create its own source of revenues and levy taxes, fees and charges, subject to such guidelines and limitation as the Congress may provide consistent with the basic policy of local autonomy, which taxes, fees and charges shall accrue exclusively to the local government unit (LGU).
Jimenez also said that this ordinance is enacted pursuant to section 18, 186, 187 and more particularly section 151 of Republic Act 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991, and as authorized by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) for the operation of bingo.
Bingo is a commercialized form of game previously known as "Housy-housy" or lotto.
In bingo, the players may buy one or more cards, each bearing random collection of numbers between 1 and 75.
The emcee draws numbers from a box or bag and calls them, players then marks off the appropriate number on their cards. The first player to complete a card calls "bingo" and wins a prize.
The game is won when a predetermined pattern or arrangement of numbers of such cards or sheets is covered.
As proposed, Bingo games may operate only from 11:00 a.m up to 9:00 p.m daily.
The proposed bingo ordinance established the place where it will be held.
Initially the game will be played at the third floor of a local department store.
The proposed ordinance also provides that "No bingo games shall be established, maintained or operated within a radius of fifty (50) lineal meters from any public building, schools hospital or Church. Provided further, that no Bingo games shall be established, maintained or operated within a radius of five hundred (500) lineal meters from each other, or from any other Bingo game already established, maintained or in operation."
Jimenez said that no minors or persons below eighteen (18) years of age shall be allowed inside the bingo hall or center, except under the circumstances allowed under the rules and regulations of the Philippines Amusement and Gaining Corporation (Pagcor).
Students in school uniform are not allowed to enter the Bingo hall or center. Person under the age of eighteen (18) shall not be allowed to play the game.
All bingo operators are required to submit to the Office of the City Treasurer periodic monthly reports of its group receipts not later than every 10th day of the succeeding month.
No liquors or other intoxicating beverages shall be allowed to be sold, dispense, or taken inside the bingo hall.
No other forms of gambling shall be allowed inside the premises of the bingo hall or center.
Zamboanga City is the only urbanized city wherein bingo games is not being played yet.
There have been several applications to way back in 1999 for the operation of bingo games in Zamboanga. |
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