Boracay’s first hotel-casino may add another attraction to the country’s premier beach destination, but for the Catholic Church in Aklan, the island’s progress should not come at the expense of families and communities.
Bishop Cyril Villareal of the Diocese of Kalibo raised concerns over the social costs of gambling following the opening of the six-story hotel-casino on Sept. 16.
“Our concern is also about the concrete consequences that gambling can bring to individuals, families, and society,” Villareal said in a pastoral statement released through the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
The bishop warned that gambling can push individuals into financial distress and debt, divert money meant for basic household needs, and contribute to conflict between spouses, broken relationships and the neglect of children.
In more serious cases, he said, gambling could contribute to other forms of social harm.
Villareal also challenged the notion that casino gambling is necessary for Boracay’s continued economic growth.
“Boracay does not need gambling and casinos” to bring progress, he said.
Instead, he called for a tourism model that puts human welfare alongside economic development.
“We pray for a Boracay where tourism serves the human person; where economic development strengthens rather than weakens families; where businesses contribute to the common good, and where the beauty of the island is matched by the dignity and well-being of the people who live, work, and visit there,” Villareal said.
The hotel-casino has been promoted as a new draw for visitors to Boracay, a world-famous beach destination in Malay town.
Its arrival, however, revives a debate that has followed casino proposals on the island for years.
Casino investors were allowed to enter Boracay in 2021 during the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, with the government citing the need to help the tourism-dependent island recover from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The proposed expansion of gambling on the island has faced opposition from local communities and the Catholic Church.
Previously, bishops across Western Visayas jointly opposed establishing casinos in Boracay.
With the first hotel-casino now operating, Villareal’s latest statement shifts the discussion from investment and tourism recovery to what he sees as the longer-term consequences of gambling on families and the wider community.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.