RESIDENTS of La Trinidad, Benguet, expressed their opposition to the proposed establishment of an electronic bingo in the valley.
Leaders and representatives of different religious groups, educational institutions, groups, parents, concerned citizens of different barangays, and former La Trinidad Mayor Edna Tabanda attended the September 11 public consultation.
Only 68 joined the public consultation on Monday, September 11.
The group opposed any forms of gambling including e-bingo which they said have a negative effect in the lives of families and community.
During the consultation, anti-gambling advocates said La Trinidad is becoming an educational center and gambling operations will mostly affect students.
Representing the seven churches and ministries in the municipality, Pastor Saturnino Galino said he has seen gambling destroy relationships and family members of his congregation.
“In this municipality, it has negative effects in terms in lives of families,” Galino added.
Jonathan Mandapat, chairman of boys and girls brigade, said if these forms of gambling enter the municipality, it will destroy the moral foundation of the family and imply to the children the idea of easy money.
“Weak families produce weak society and weak society will produce weak nation,” Mandapat said.
With the outcome of the public consultations, committee on ways and means chairman Guiller Galwan said the next move is to conduct talks in the different barangays of the valley.
“What we will do is to task the barangay chairmans to conduct the public consultation with regard to e-bingo where all reactions will be submitted to the municipality. After that, all these will be our basis in making the resolution to give the certification of no objection,” Galwan said.
Galwan said he is satisfied with the turnout of the attendees of the public hearing.
Councilor Henry Kipas also said that the public consultation aims to listen to the people’s sentiment on e-bingo and other forms of gambling.