PAGCOR Launches New Flagship Projects With DepEd, DPWH

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) formally launched its newest flagship infrastructure projects on Wednesday, October 23.

Left to right: DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco, and DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan show the signed memorandum circular formalizing the three agencies' new collaborative undertaking. I Photos: PAGCOR

These include school buildings, with a target of completing at least 1,200 classrooms over the next four years.

PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco announced the details of the new projects during the signing of a Joint Memorandum Circular with its partner agencies, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“In four years, we hope to build at least 1,200 classrooms, or about 300 classrooms per year, under this new infrastructure push as part of our commitment to nation-building,” said Mr. Tengco, adding that the agency will prioritize far-flung and remote communities.

In addition to the school buildings, Mr. Tengco said PAGCOR will also establish 200 E-Learning Centers in areas with a high concentration of learning institutions.

Each E-Learning Center will feature 48 computer stations with internet connectivity, making them ideal hubs for online research and computer literacy courses.

Another aspect of the flagship projects will be the construction of Health and Wellness Centers. These centers will feature doctors' offices, consultation rooms, dental clinics, vaccination rooms, treatment rooms, and a multi-purpose area.

Mr. Tengco said PAGCOR plans to build at least 100 Health and Wellness Centers nationwide over the next four years to bring quality healthcare to underserved communities and local government units.

Lastly, PAGCOR will build 50 Socio-Civic Centers, which beneficiary local government units (LGUs) can utilize as venues for seminars, training, social and community gatherings, and potentially revenue-generating events.

The multi-purpose Socio-Civic Centers will also serve as evacuation facilities during calamities and disasters.

“We want these projects to benefit as many Filipinos as possible because we believe that laying the groundwork for a stronger nation is not the sole responsibility of the education sector but should be a collective effort of agencies and organizations,” said Mr. Tengco.

Under the memorandum circular, the DPWH will undertake the construction of the new PAGCOR flagship projects, while DepEd will administer the schools and E-Learning Centers, including providing teachers and other personnel.

The signing of the joint memorandum was attended by DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara. Secretary Angara noted that PAGCOR's commitment to building more classrooms would greatly benefit the education sector.

“Currently, our classroom deficit is at 165,000. It is a huge help that PAGCOR is committing to build hundreds of classrooms each year,” he said. “We are grateful to PAGCOR and DPWH because these projects will definitely improve the learning experience of our students.”

Secretary Bonoan also expressed his gratitude to PAGCOR for its “trust and confidence in DPWH to spearhead the construction of school buildings and other facilities across various parts of the country.”

“This will be challenging, but we are committed to facing the challenges and completing these noble undertakings with PAGCOR and DepEd,” he said.