Church nixes Casino U

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) rejected yesterday proposals to put up the first ever Casino University in the country.

CBCP president and Cotabato Archbishop Orlando Quevedo said the Catholic Church will oppose plans of the government to operate the Casino University.

"The Philippines is the only country that became famous for the wrong reason," Quevedo said as he expressed his strong objection to the proposal.

The government-run Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) is reportedly planning to put up a Casino University that will offer degrees on casino accounting, bingo management and casino marketing among other short courses.

Quevedo said the establishment of a casino university will provide a culture that is not conducive to development and may eventually lead to the importation of gamblers from the Philippines.

"It’s like training the people to look for money from wrong sources," Quevedo said. He cautioned school officials that are experiencing financial difficulty from falling into the trap and agreeing to offer gambling courses.

Instead of establishing a casino university, Quevedo urged Pagcor to put up vocational schools for orphans. He said the Church will send a letter to President Arroyo and Pagcor to voice the Church’s objections. – Mayen Jaymalin