City Council opens city doors to STL
Small Town Lottery (STL) is now free to enter Iloilo City. The City Council, in a resolution, interposed no objection to the operation of STL which is now under the supervision of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
In its regular session last Wednesday, 11 councilors voted for the passage of the resolution sponsored by Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo favorably endorsing STL.
Only Councilor Perla Zulueta voted against while Councilors Jeffrey Ganzon and Julienne Baronda were absent.
The approval of the resolution followed Councilor Armand Parcon's committee report. Parcon as chair the committee on amusement, games and professional sports conducted public hearings regarding the entry of STL in the city.
However, the committee report did not contain a specific stand on the issue. Instead, it referred the matter the collective consensus of the entire City Council.
Based on the public hearings, the committee believed that STL can provide additional employment opportunities or livelihood to the poor.
The committee also believed that the entire citizenry of Iloilo City will benefit from the income that could be generated from the STL as prescribed in the guidelines set forth by the PCSO.
In the last June 30, 2006 hearing, PCSO Special Project Development Department Manager III Romualdo Quiñonez said the agent corporation shall give shares of its income to the local government unit concerned, police, sales agents, Bureau of Internal Revenue and to the charity fund among others.
The committee also believed that the STL can be an effective means to curb illegal number games that remain rampant in the city, a view which is contrary to that of Zulueta's.
Zulueta thinks STL could be used as a front for illegal number games which will be used as milking cow by unscrupulous individuals.
In his resolution, Peñaredondo said majority of the Ilonggos expressed overwhelming support to the STL. He also said the STL can bring benefits which could be otherwise not possible if the same is operating clandestinely or illegally.
With the City Council paving way for the entry of STL in the city, it is now up for the PCSO on which applicant to grant the authority to operate STL.
Two corporations have filed an application with the city government--the Iloilo Small Town Lottery and Gaming Corp. (ISTLGC) and the Green Diamond Multi-Ventures Corp.
Based on PCSO rules, only one could be granted the franchise to operate STL in a certain area.