Since we're talking about Singapore, their tourism tag line is so funny. "Uniquely Singapore!" So I asked the tour guide, "what is uniquely Singapore? seems to me most your attractions are either man made or copied from other nations?" the tour guid answered, "The MerLion!" That's uniquely Singapore! :LOL:

^ don't we have a merlion somewhere in the Philippines?

Weren't merlions 'created' in Europe years before Singapore was even inhabited by Europeans? Since merlions arent real...

Yup, I think it's in the seal of the Republic of The Philippines or President of the Philippines?

^^ Yes. It is part of the Sagisag Ng Pangulo Ng Pilipinas.

Since we're talking about Singapore, their tourism tag line is so funny. "Uniquely Singapore!" So I asked the tour guide, "what is uniquely Singapore? seems to me most your attractions are either man made or copied from other nations?" the tour guid answered, "The MerLion!" That's uniquely Singapore! :LOL:

:lol::lol::lol:

Pagcor’s $25-B tourism city to rise in Parañaque
By Michael Punongbayan
Friday, September 26, 2008


The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) may now begin construction of the biggest tourism and entertainment city in the country after securing a permit from Parañaque, which is expected to rake in P1 billion yearly in tax revenue from the $25-billion project.

The facility, which is also expected to generate jobs for more than 100,000 residents, will rise on a 150-hectare property on Roxas Boulevard and Coastal Road. The area has been declared a special investment district.

Councilor Jose Enrico Golez and 14 other local legislators have declared the former reclamation area a tourism economic zone through Resolution No. 08-059.

Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. said the city government approved the project last week. Pagcor’s partner in the project is the Philippine Economic Zone Authority or PEZA.

He said the proposed tourism and entertainment city will not only generate income for the city but will also provide livelihood for its citizens.

Bernabe said a local ordinance stipulates that Parañaque residents should comprise at least 40 percent of the workforce of new establishments.

“Since this project will employ around 250,000 workers, it will mean at least 100,000 jobs for us here,” he told The STAR.

Bernabe said a Memorandum of Agreement between the city government of Parañaque and Pagcor, through Chairman Efraim Genuino, will be signed to specify and establish the roles and responsibilities of both and the PEZA.

Councilors who agreed to the grand idea of building a tourism and entertainment city in Parañaque said the project “will develop the full tourism potential” of the locality.

According to the resolution passed, the project will make use of 35 lots in a reclamation area along Manila Bay where luxury hotels with casinos, restaurants, malls, convention centers, theaters, cultural centers, museums, amusement parks, residential villages, and even an observation tower will rise.

Councilors noted that the Pagcor charter gives it the right to operate and maintain gambling, casinos, clubs, and other recreation or amusement places, sports, gaming pools, lotteries and the like whether on land or sea within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines.

However, they said Republic Act 9487, which amends the same, provides that the operation of slot machines and other gambling paraphernalia and equipment shall not be allowed in establishments that are open and accessible to the public unless located within three-star hotels and resorts.

They added that such establishments should also be accredited by the Department of Tourism (DOT) and authorized by the local government unit concerned.

Bernabe said “investors can now come in” and begin constructing the country’s tourism and entertainment city now that the Sangguniang Panlungsod has given Pagcor and PEZA the green light.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080925163

^^:banana:

YES!!!! :banana:

i thought it was $15 billion?

[QUOTE=diz;25776156]i thought it was $15 B


Ayos! Buti nga tumaas eh. Hehe! :banana: :cucumber::banana2:

I hope some of the investors will come out with some kind of rendering if they plan to start construction in January of 2009. We have a lot of catching up to do now that Singapore is almost done with their similar project.

I really pray that this project starts soon. With the current credit crunch affecting the US and the slowdown in global economy, I have worries about potential investors wanting to push thru with this

Yes!!! and we will see soon some activity from the coming months.

:applause:

OH YEAH!


:horse:

JP

ÜBER excited na! Bakit kasi wala ap ring official render?

Dapat futuristic, global, at very Filipino. Yan dapat ang concepts ng BNP-MBTC.

About sa name: SUCH A MOUTHFUL! :jk: :lol:

grabe it gave me chills. wow $25B pala. dala siguro ng inflation lol! basta dapat simulan na yan. engrande than macau or singapore.

^^ Grander than any place in the world!

Is there an investor ready to break ground and start construction ASAP?

^^ Yeah, I think it's Aruze.

:banana::carrot::pepper:

baka typo ung 25, lol.

^^ Yeah, I think it's Aruze.

Aruze Gaming Philippines is hiring workers as found in today's newspapers. Their office is in Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlumpa, Metro Manila.

It says that it is for their "start up" organization.

Ooohhhhh..... This means that they will start construction unless they get the very professional Filipinos to their company to work in the PC.

Very nice. Just the way that I want employment to work here sa Pinas.

SO EXCITED LOL :))

Al5ex_gobvc
PAGCOR ENTERTAINMENT CITY AREA SEPTEMBER 28 08

Waterfront considers stake in Pagcor City project


By Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:19:00 09/28/2008



Business

WATERFRONT PHILIPPINES INC. (WPI) of plastics magnate William Gatchalian is studying the possibility of participating in Pagcor City, a massive gaming and entertainment project.

“Any expansion is always welcome in our business. With regard to Pagcor City, we looked into that but nothing concrete has been talked about. It is a good possibility. If they will welcome us, of course we would want to be part of it,” Waterfront president Kenneth Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said any potential foray into Pagcor City would be in the hotel and convention development. He stressed, however, that there were no talks between the government and Waterfront.

The state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said Pagcor City, its most ambitious project to date that will be patterned after Las Vegas and will rise on reclaimed land along Manila Bay -- was estimated to cost $20 billion.

This was a 33-percent jump from the initial $15-billion cost that was announced when the project was unveiled in 2001. Under the original plan, the investments and project cost would be spread out over a 10-year period.

Pagcor City will be built in three phases on 800 hectares of reclaimed land. The first phase will host a hotel-resort and theme park. The next two phases will have retirement villages and entertainment centers.

Alliance Global Group Inc., the flagship investment firm and tourism arm of property magnate Andrew Tan, is spearheading the development of hotels and entertainment facilities in the gaming complex.

Waterfront recently bagged the bidding to operate the 206-hectare Mimosa Leisure Estate, touted as Clark’s tourism crown.

^^ Oh, it did jump from 15 billion, then. Perhaps it jumped again to 25 billion. :lol:

This articale says US$25B........

Pagcor’s $25-B tourism city to rise in Parañaque
By Michael Punongbayan
Friday, September 26, 2008


The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) may now begin construction of the biggest tourism and entertainment city in the country after securing a permit from Parañaque, which is expected to rake in P1 billion yearly in tax revenue from the $25-billion project.


http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080925163


.....however, this article says US$20B...


Waterfront considers stake in Pagcor City project


By Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:19:00 09/28/2008



Business

WATERFRONT PHILIPPINES INC. (WPI) of plastics magnate William Gatchalian is studying the possibility of participating in Pagcor City, a massive gaming and entertainment project.

“Any expansion is always welcome in our business. With regard to Pagcor City, we looked into that but nothing concrete has been talked about. It is a good possibility. If they will welcome us, of course we would want to be part of it,” Waterfront president Kenneth Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said any potential foray into Pagcor City would be in the hotel and convention development. He stressed, however, that there were no talks between the government and Waterfront.

The state-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. said Pagcor City, its most ambitious project to date that will be patterned after Las Vegas and will rise on reclaimed land along Manila Bay -- was estimated to cost $20 billion.
This was a 33-percent jump from the initial $15-billion cost that was announced when the project was unveiled in 2001. Under the original plan, the investments and project cost would be spread out over a 10-year period.



....which is which?

baka 30B na sa susunod yan. hehe

15 o 25B... basta mahalaga matuloy! :D

:lol: baka tumaas dahil sa pagtaan naman ng mga bilihin ngayon. :lol: 2001 pa kasi yung 15 million. and they really should do something regarding that smoggy weather in manila bay! maube another huge environmental park or greeN rooves, and maybe the could involve solar cells in the creation of pagcor tower so it would draw more attention as being the tallest environmental friendly structure in the world.

This project is so massive & in 10 years lang...yaman talaga ng Pagcor.

may ad pagcor about this project sa cnn

This project is so massive & in 10 years lang...yaman talaga ng Pagcor.

10years lang ? wow I'm so excited that i wish they could finish it tomorrow.
Btw this is a very good project , it will create a lot of jobs.

I'm hoping this development will mean more opportunities for us...

Macao to limit casino growth
By Tom Mitchell and Robin Kwong in Hong Kong

Published: April 22 2008 18:38 | Last updated: April 23 2008 11:01

Macao is to rein in the growth of its gambling industry by extending a moratorium on the issue of new casino licences and freezing land allocations for the construction of gaming developments.

In the first quarter of this year, gaming revenues in the territory soared 62 per cent year-on-year to $3.72bn – exceeding the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City’s revenues combined.

Edmund Ho, Macao chief executive, told legislators about steps the Chinese special administrative region would use to address a backlash and ease concerns of Beijing politicians.

They include a freeze on land allocations for future casino developments that could affect some projects planned by the six companies currently allowed to operate gaming establishments in the territory. Mr Ho also said a government moratorium on the number of casino operators, which is due to expire next year, would remain in place “for the foreseeable future”.

The news sent shares of Galaxy Entertainment up 13 per cent and Melco International Development up 5.5 per cent in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Australia’s Crown, with which Melco has a joint venture, rose 5.5 per cent in Sydney.

The territory’s casino industry was opened to overseas investment in 2002, ending the 40-year monopoly enjoyed by Stanley Ho, a Hong Kong-born Eurasian tycoon who is not related to Edmund Ho. The liberalisation led to a flood of investment from the likes of Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage. Stanley Ho’s Sociedade de Jogos de Macau hit back with the launch of a flagship property, the Grand Lisboa.

Macao’s established casino operators have already locked in government approvals for their future projects, most of which are already under construction.

The amount of investment in new casinos has badly strained Macao’s social and physical infrastructure. Parents fret about the number of students dropping out of school to take dealer positions, which are reserved for local residents. Government departments, banks and even dentist offices are also finding it difficult to hold on to their staff.

Macao’s government has struggled to contain the backlash, which erupted during anti-government protests on May 1 last year.

In an effort to mollify critics who say that most of the population have not shared in the wealth created by the boom, Edmund Ho announced that the government would give every Macao permanent resident a cash payment of 5,000 patacas ($625) from its fiscal surplus.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4983f58-1091-11dd-b8d6-0000779fd2ac.html

Macao curbs gaming
Published: April 23 2008 09:48 | Last updated: April 23 2008 20:10

The odds suddenly look a lot better for casino operators who took a punt on Macao, the world’s biggest gambling den. On Tuesday the government unveiled plans to extend a moratorium on new casino licences and stop doling out land for gaming developments.

The move delighted investors in US gaming companies: shares in Las Vegas Sands surged 9 per cent on Tuesday, while Wynn Resorts jumped 7 per cent. The new rules play right into the hands of existing operators. Although they are technically subject to the new restrictions it is unclear how much will be grandfathered: expansion under discussion is unlikely to be halted. But newcomers, including hopefuls such as Sir Richard Branson, will not make it over the starting line. That leaves a lot of growth for a small club of players. Macao, the only part of China where gambling is legal, chalked up a 62 per cent rise in revenues to $3.7bn in the first quarter on a year-on-year basis.
But government restrictions are only part of the story. Inadequate infrastructure, for example, is already posing a constraint on growth. The social consequences of turning a once sleepy village into one large casino add to the mix: frustration spilled out into anti-government protests last year. Even the market is signalling tentative signs of oversupply. Not all the spanking-new casinos are heaving with punters. Some ambitions have been trimmed. Overall, the number of gaming tables fell on a quarter-on-quarter basis in the first quarter, a rare occurrence. Las Vegas Sands’ year-on-year revenue at its older resort fell in the fourth quarter. And at least one would-be player appears to have lost out from the new curbs. Harrah’s Entertainment, which last year shelled out heavily for a Macao golf course, will have to drop any thoughts of building a casino there, for now. A few (hideously expensive) rounds of golf look like poor compensation.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/74d879c4-1111-11dd-a93b-0000779fd2ac.html

Just this hour: Singapore-based Channel News Asia report says the Philippines is the HOTTEST REAL ESTATE MARKET in SOUTHEAST ASIA!

:banana::cheers::banana::cheers:

I'm hoping this development will mean more opportunities for us...

Macao to limit casino growth
By Tom Mitchell and Robin Kwong in Hong Kong

Published: April 22 2008 18:38 | Last updated: April 23 2008 11:01

Macao is to rein in the growth of its gambling industry by extending a moratorium on the issue of new casino licences and freezing land allocations for the construction of gaming developments.

In the first quarter of this year, gaming revenues in the territory soared 62 per cent year-on-year to $3.72bn – exceeding the Las Vegas Strip and Atlantic City’s revenues combined.

Edmund Ho, Macao chief executive, told legislators about steps the Chinese special administrative region would use to address a backlash and ease concerns of Beijing politicians.

They include a freeze on land allocations for future casino developments that could affect some projects planned by the six companies currently allowed to operate gaming establishments in the territory. Mr Ho also said a government moratorium on the number of casino operators, which is due to expire next year, would remain in place “for the foreseeable future”.

The news sent shares of Galaxy Entertainment up 13 per cent and Melco International Development up 5.5 per cent in Hong Kong on Wednesday. Australia’s Crown, with which Melco has a joint venture, rose 5.5 per cent in Sydney.

The territory’s casino industry was opened to overseas investment in 2002, ending the 40-year monopoly enjoyed by Stanley Ho, a Hong Kong-born Eurasian tycoon who is not related to Edmund Ho. The liberalisation led to a flood of investment from the likes of Sheldon Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands, Wynn Resorts and MGM Mirage. Stanley Ho’s Sociedade de Jogos de Macau hit back with the launch of a flagship property, the Grand Lisboa.

Macao’s established casino operators have already locked in government approvals for their future projects, most of which are already under construction.

The amount of investment in new casinos has badly strained Macao’s social and physical infrastructure. Parents fret about the number of students dropping out of school to take dealer positions, which are reserved for local residents. Government departments, banks and even dentist offices are also finding it difficult to hold on to their staff.

Macao’s government has struggled to contain the backlash, which erupted during anti-government protests on May 1 last year.

In an effort to mollify critics who say that most of the population have not shared in the wealth created by the boom, Edmund Ho announced that the government would give every Macao permanent resident a cash payment of 5,000 patacas ($625) from its fiscal surplus.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a4983f58-1091-11dd-b8d6-0000779fd2ac.html

Macao curbs gaming
Published: April 23 2008 09:48 | Last updated: April 23 2008 20:10

The odds suddenly look a lot better for casino operators who took a punt on Macao, the world’s biggest gambling den. On Tuesday the government unveiled plans to extend a moratorium on new casino licences and stop doling out land for gaming developments.

The move delighted investors in US gaming companies: shares in Las Vegas Sands surged 9 per cent on Tuesday, while Wynn Resorts jumped 7 per cent. The new rules play right into the hands of existing operators. Although they are technically subject to the new restrictions it is unclear how much will be grandfathered: expansion under discussion is unlikely to be halted. But newcomers, including hopefuls such as Sir Richard Branson, will not make it over the starting line. That leaves a lot of growth for a small club of players. Macao, the only part of China where gambling is legal, chalked up a 62 per cent rise in revenues to $3.7bn in the first quarter on a year-on-year basis.
But government restrictions are only part of the story. Inadequate infrastructure, for example, is already posing a constraint on growth. The social consequences of turning a once sleepy village into one large casino add to the mix: frustration spilled out into anti-government protests last year. Even the market is signalling tentative signs of oversupply. Not all the spanking-new casinos are heaving with punters. Some ambitions have been trimmed. Overall, the number of gaming tables fell on a quarter-on-quarter basis in the first quarter, a rare occurrence. Las Vegas Sands’ year-on-year revenue at its older resort fell in the fourth quarter. And at least one would-be player appears to have lost out from the new curbs. Harrah’s Entertainment, which last year shelled out heavily for a Macao golf course, will have to drop any thoughts of building a casino there, for now. A few (hideously expensive) rounds of golf look like poor compensation.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/74d879c4-1111-11dd-a93b-0000779fd2ac.html

lipat na sa pinas!!! expand ang land area ng pagcor city to accommodate these business or expand sa angeles or cebu... we should grab this opportunity immediately.

Paki-post naman ng Pagcor ad sa CNN.:)

papost ng pagcor ad ng cnn...:) ty

Just this hour: Singapore-based Channel News Asia report says the Philippines is the HOTTEST REAL ESTATE MARKET in SOUTHEAST ASIA!

:banana::cheers::banana::cheers:

huh! I tot HCM City in Vietnam? boom din sa kanila kc eh. Anyway, good news indeed.

WOW! Ang SOSYAL ng PAGCOR ah!

May CNN exposure na!

Macau investors, sakay na! Sa bagong PAGCOR City! :applause: :applause:

Pa-post ng vid! Para maipagyabang sa mundo! Wah! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Wala ako paki sa Vietnam! Gusto ko Pinas lang! Wah! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Ang selfish! Uy! Joke lang yung sa Vietnam ah! :jk: OK?! :jk:

may ad pagcor about this project sa cnn

Kelan pinalabas? Recently lang ba? Post it! Now na! :) :nuts: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers::banana: :banana: :banana:

uy sana meron makapagpost nun! hehehe...

hmm.. san sya pinalabas? sa Pinas or outside the country? kasi kung through the local cable network ehh.. baka hindi talaga commercial ng CNN yun...

yeah! just saw the CNN ad in between the Palin-Biden debate, head-to-head with Malaysia's Islamic Financial Centre pitch!:banana::banana::banana::cheers:

^^ Holy crap! we don't have cable... :lol:

yeah! just saw the CNN ad in between the Palin-Biden debate, head-to-head with Malaysia's Islamic Financial Centre pitch!:banana::banana::banana::cheers:

^^ Can you tell us what's in the ad? May Pagcor iconic tower ba?

Exactly yung render na nakita nyo na dito, and yes hindi pedeng hindi mo mapansin yung tower:cheers:...

^^ Yeah, the tower has been confirmed since they started this project.

Exactly yung render na nakita nyo na dito, and yes hindi pedeng hindi mo mapansin yung tower:cheers:...

Great! I've been waiting for that ad last night sa CNN, kainis..di lumabas

It's good they timed it with the debate, I'm sure lots of our kababayans abroad saw it, and hopefully investors too :okay:

It's good they timed it with the debate, I'm sure lots of our kababayans abroad saw it, and hopefully investors too :okay:

i watched the debate of biden-palin on cnn yesterday night here in minneapolis but i never saw an ad of pagcor. could it be a local ad only?

I've seen this because recently I watched "Wanders" in PAGCOR. Before Wanders started, they played the proposal plan several times on screen. Here are my sentimentals, IMHO: (guess it's just me)

1. Hope it will not be :ohno: ... controversial.
2. Hope it will be stable. A supertall tower? In the reclamation area? Plus highrise hotels? Too dangerous, I think.
3. At first thought, I think the project is too ambitious, and first-world countries only get this. Question: Where will PACGOR get the fundings for this mega-project?
4. Hope it will be finished ON-TIME, without any hassles, barriers or whatsoever.

Two cents.

I've seen this because recently I watched "Wanders" in PAGCOR. Before Wanders started, they played the proposal plan several times on screen. Here are my sentimentals, IMHO: (guess it's just me)

1. Hope it will not be :ohno: ... controversial.
2. Hope it will be stable. A supertall tower? In the reclamation area? Plus highrise hotels? Too dangerous, I think.
3. At first thought, I think the project is too ambitious, and first-world countries only get this. Question: Where will PACGOR get the fundings for this mega-project?
4. Hope it will be finished ON-TIME, without any hassles, barriers or whatsoever.

Two cents.

Those who know that there would be such kind of project are those people who want the country to progress through the help of this.

Next, we have world-class architects & engineers that can just do the trick. Just look at Dubai. Almost half of the engineers hired there are Filipinos. We will just have to incorporate new techniques & methods in building in reclaimed land, like the earthquake-proofing of these buildings. You are right. Building in reclaimed land is dangerous, especially when struck by an earthquake, which I don't want.

I read on a post here at SSC that "The Philippines is a rich country trying to be poor....." and this is true. Being a SUPERPOWER back then means that we have the capability of doing such projects. If our neighbors did it, why can't we?

Just pray that the Church would have a broader aspect regarding this. And all systems will go uninterrupted.

I'm so excited about this project! :D I never thought that it was too ambitious, I know that the philippines can really do something like this. Dami dami na nga nating world-class structures or buildings. Merong mall of asia, greenbelt, etc.. so ang kailangan lang talaga ay ipag sama sama ito para mas maging maganda tignan :D.

(a bit off topic)I think kaya lang hindi nakakagawa ng malalakaing project ang pilipinas ay dahil tuwing may nangyayari na masama ang unang sinisisi ng mga tao ay ang gobyerno.... Parati na lang ganun, hindi nila naiisip na buti pa ang gobyerno ay nakakatulong sa pagisip kung paano paunlarin ang bansa eh yung mga nag reklamo naman sigurado walang natutulong.

I'm sure after they've completed the Pagcor City, the philippines will once again become one of the richest country in asia. Siguro lahat ng city sa pilipinas ay gagawing parang pagcor city :)).

meron kaya sa youtube yung ad nayan....

Ito lang nakita ko, yung Wanders, aba meron na pala tayong matitinding acrobatic team huh ngayon ko lang nalaman pero dont know w/c one kasi halohalo pala at merong mga chinese and russian teams din sa palabas...
LJgFPNIQXUA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJgFPNIQXUA&feature=related

actually, in the 1960s the philippines was actually the richest country in asia after japan. buildings such as the post office and those surrounding the agrifina circle all stand witness to our glorious past. anyway, improving our country wouldn't just require steps like building world record buildings and resorts, we should also focus on our glorious past, give more attenion on intramuros, the art deco buildings, and malacanang. these aspects that symbolise our country. and for me my sentimentals toward pagcor city would be:

~ they should do tests to secure the land their building in. since manila was destroyed several times by earthquakes.
~ they should consider green awareness. huge parks and tree lined streets, buildings lined with solar cells, or maybe some new innovations that contribute less to global warming.
~ something that would stand out against our neighbors. since malaysia and taiwan were already the titleholders of the worl's tallest structures, lest just make pagcor tower more iconic.
~ something to not just symbolize, but something that would embody the philippines as a unique entity not just las vegas of asia or europe in asia.

anyway pagcor has it's own ideas, just hope i could have helped. :cheers:

Sana maifeature sya sa "Mega Structure" ng National Geographic.:)

i watched the debate of biden-palin on cnn yesterday night here in minneapolis but i never saw an ad of pagcor. could it be a local ad only?

Saw it today also on CNN when World Sport went on break. Nope, it's not one of those commercials that cable companies air in on top of the real broadcast. It's real broadcast from CNN. The ad started with a 3D render of the Pagcor Tower. It talked about the bullish economy, Filipino hospitality and all that stuff investors would want to hear. There were tons of stock photos in the ad but they also showed the Makati skyline and some project renders as well. Genuino also said a small part. But the name of the project just ruins it. Imagine a foreigner trying to remember that. Good thing they put more emphasis on Pagcor.

I think the ad was made by the same company which did Pagcor's corporate video that was posted on YouTube.

oh okay, well, did it do good to enhance pagcor's image? and yes! i forgot, but i hope this project will be featured in megastructures! :cheers:

^^
guys im here in melbourne, australia...and i was amazed with the CNN ad of Bagong Nayon--Pagcor...grabe...gogogogo...:banana:
nakita ko ang ad nila sa CNN...i hope DOT will do the same way, kasi malaysia, india, vietnam, thailand, china, japan and Korea may mga ads na...

[QUOTE=amitaliri619;26122300]in the 1960s the philippines was actually the richest country in asia after japan.
QUOTE]

Bro I am in no way trying to ridicule your post so please dont take offense. Besides, technically we were (but the world was in ruins after the war which to me makes the word rich in this context, debatable)...I just wanted to qoute this statement...I dont know how many times Ive read this line in books, statements and write ups but it still cracks me up when I read it. :lol:

This statement sound like a "telemarketting speil" to me...:lol: We used to be the RICHEST country is Asia...next to japan! :lol:
Positive verbiage! :lol:

Any ways, moving along, moving along...

Im definitely excited about this project I sincerely hope it turns out the way they plan it to be. This will definitely create jobs and maybe put the Philippines in the world map. NCR is a lot cleaner compared to 10 years ago but it still has along way to go and a lot of thing that need to be done to turn it into something like Macau, Singapore or even Kuala Lumpur but it's a start.

I long for the day that Philippines will be properous and safe...I hope I can see it in my lifetime...

[QUOTE=amitaliri619;26122300]in the 1960s the philippines was actually the richest country in asia after japan.
QUOTE]

Bro I am in no way trying to ridicule your post so please dont take offense. Besides, technically we were (but the world was in ruins after the war which to me makes the word rich in this context, debatable)...I just wanted to qoute this statement...I dont know how many times Ive read this line in books, statements and write ups but it still cracks me up when I read it. :lol:

This statement sound like a "telemarketting speil" to me...:lol: We used to be the RICHEST country is Asia...next to japan! :lol:
Positive verbiage! :lol:

Any ways, moving along, moving along...

Im definitely excited about this project I sincerely hope it turns out the way they plan it to be. This will definitely create jobs and maybe put the Philippines in the world map. NCR is a lot cleaner compared to 10 years ago but it still has along way to go and a lot of thing that need to be done to turn it into something like Macau, Singapore or even Kuala Lumpur but it's a start.

I long for the day that Philippines will be properous and safe...I hope I can see it in my lifetime...

:lol: ACTUALLY :lol: i agree woth that! after that description was: compared to our neighbors like singapore and malaysia! rich is a big word! :lol: anyway, you'll find this in many articles throughout the net. :lol:

my only question is: are the renderings and pictures broadcasted by cnn okay? or horrible? :lol:

[QUOTE=higen;26130868]

my only question is: are the renderings and pictures broadcasted by cnn okay? or horrible? :lol:


Hmmmm..havent seen the vid yet myself, will do later.

Another challenge to this project is how to how minimize the crime rate in Metro Manila. Manila is a dangerous city for foriegners and locals alike. More foreigner walking around means more crimes against them will be commited and this will not be a very good image. I hope they pull it off.

your right there are so many things to consider if they want that kind of development in the Philippines like traffic, crime, infrastructure and many more. I think the main question is, are Filipino's ready to change our ways to accomodate foreign tourists? I think the main problem is our attitude as a nation.

pede bng makita sa cnn.com yung pagcor ad?? :)

actually, in the 1960s the philippines was actually the richest country in asia after japan. buildings such as the post office and those surrounding the agrifina circle all stand witness to our glorious past. anyway, improving our country wouldn't just require steps like building world record buildings and resorts, we should also focus on our glorious past, give more attenion on intramuros, the art deco buildings, and malacanang. these aspects that symbolise our country. and for me my sentimentals toward pagcor city would be:

~ they should do tests to secure the land their building in. since manila was destroyed several times by earthquakes.
~ they should consider green awareness. huge parks and tree lined streets, buildings lined with solar cells, or maybe some new innovations that contribute less to global warming.
~ something that would stand out against our neighbors. since malaysia and taiwan were already the titleholders of the worl's tallest structures, lest just make pagcor tower more iconic.
~ something to not just symbolize, but something that would embody the philippines as a unique entity not just las vegas of asia or europe in asia.

anyway pagcor has it's own ideas, just hope i could have helped. :cheers:

1960's was the ULTIMATE Year for the Philippines because it was considered a SUPERPOWER (take note: a SUPERPOWER) next to Japan. So virtually, the Philippines is a rich country, the prob is, we don't know how to manage it.

I read a news article in a post here at SSC-Philippines that says, "The Philippines is a rich country trying to be poor...."

True. They have to secure those reclaimed lands because they were done ata in the 60's.

Second, they incorporated landscaping at its grandest so we don't have probs with that.

Third and fourth, a really nationalistic and history-wise architect can do just the trick for that iconic, out of this world, and the only thing that will make the overall perception of the Philippines as grand and glorious as possible.

Sana maifeature sya sa "Mega Structure" ng National Geographic.:)

Hindi lang basta sana, DAPAT!

Hindi lang basta sana, DAPAT!

di lang yan no! sana yung sariling show niya talaga diba? yung tulad ng "vegas comes to china" or "china's olympic dream" or yung "seven wonders of china" sana merong din tayo niyan! :cheers:

1960's was the ULTIMATE Year for the Philippines because it was considered a SUPERPOWER (take note: a SUPERPOWER) next to Japan.


Superpower? Hmmm...In what sense? Superpower like US, UK or Russia?

I know we were "prosperous" back then and Manila was probaby the most modern and urbanized city in the far east in the 30's all through out the early 60's but a superpower? Was Japan considered a Superpower in the 60's? Is Singapore right now considered a Superpower? This maybe a case that's as harder to gather evidence for as to how they really built the pyramids at Giza. :wink2:

Can't find anything in google about it nor from my old history books. Can someone please post an article about this or at least direct to a thread about this if it already exists so I may read on for myself. Don't get me wrong, I WANT to be proven wrong and I'd love it if someone could wash away my doubts...:okay:

^SUPERPOWER lalo na nung panahon ni Marcos. Ang Asian Neighbors ay takot tumawid sa Border ng Pinas dahil sa mga Military at Super Power nuong Panahon ni marcos.

Philippines was economically well off and considered 2nd to Japan in 1960's. But that was after the 2nd world war when Japan was still recovering from nuclear devastation. Neighboring countries, including the Philippines, were likewise rebuilding around that time.

Unfortunately, Philippines has never been a superpower like US, UK, Spain, or the previous USSR. Our country though has the potential to achieve first-world status if only we can unify for at least 2o years.

But with the quality of politicians and bishops we have, our children's children might not see the light of day. :bash:

Having said this, I'm hopeful that some quality people from the private and gov't sectors with the help of forward-looking pinoys and SSCers :yes:, this country can still achieve what other countries can only dreamed of. :okay:

there's no way in the world we can be first world if there's no unity, no one willing to sacrifice. In the business aspect, we are way behind in pretty much all the industries, we need more entrepreneurs.

Superpower? Hmmm...In what sense? Superpower like US, UK or Russia?

I know we were "prosperous" back then and Manila was probaby the most modern and urbanized city in the far east in the 30's all through out the early 60's but a superpower? Was Japan considered a Superpower in the 60's? Is Singapore right now considered a Superpower? This maybe a case that's as harder to gather evidence for as to how they really built the pyramids at Giza. :wink2:

Can't find anything in google about it nor from my old history books. Can someone please post an article about this or at least direct to a thread about this if it already exists so I may read on for myself. Don't get me wrong, I WANT to be proven wrong and I'd love it if someone could wash away my doubts...:okay:

okay higen,... so what they mean by super power was probably the title: "asian tiger" in the 1960s the philippines was the first in line to gain that position. basically, it means one of the most powerful nations that would probably afect a huge deal of the global economy. in the 60s the philippines was a forerunner for this position together with hong kong and korea. basically, what they meant was most likely, without marcos' poor reign over our country, our economy would most likely prooven much larger than the ones of korea and hong kong. traditionally, the four asian tigers were, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, HONG KONG, and SOUTH KOREA. right now, the countriess aiming for that position would be: TAHILAND, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, and THE PHILIPPINES.

AND HERE IS A PIECE OF THE ARTICLE IN WIKIPEDIA REGARDING THE ECONOMY OF ASIA.

"Following World War II, the People's Republic of China and India, which account for half of the population of Asia, adopted socialist policies. These policies limited the economic growth of the region. In contrast, the economies of superiors Japan, South Korea and the other tigers Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong--were economic successes, and the only successful economies outside of North America, Western Europe and Australia. The Philippines from Post World War II until the late 1960s had the second largest economy in Asia. The Philippine economy during the 1980s was marked by stagnant growth as a result of dictatorship and martial law."

PAGCOR urges business sector to invest more in dev’t programs
spacer




With inflation, rising food prices, and the incidence of natural calamities threatening to slow down the country’s economic progress, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) through Chairman and CEO Efraim C. Genuino is calling on the business community to further intensify its social responsibility campaigns.

"The government alone cannot address the challenges and social problems our country is facing. What we need is a concerted effort from all sectors, especially from those with the resource to support their own socio-civic and community development endeavors," Chairman Genuino stressed.

"I am calling on the business sector, especially the country’s top-earning corporations to invest not only in their businesses but also in the people. We should have a greater sense of responsibility and purpose by paying forward acts of kindness," he added.

Setting the example, PAGCOR has launched several high-impact projects that have already benefited thousands of people since the start of the year. But beyond that, it has successfully engaged the support of foreign investors such the ARUZE Corporation of Japan to help the Philippines in other ways, not only through business.

Through Genuino’s initiative, ARUZE Corporation Chairman Kazuo Okada recently turned over 300 metric tons of rice to the Philippine government for distribution among the families affected by the destructive typhoons that hit the country lately. The donation was handed over to National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chairman Gilberto C. Teodoro.

ARUZE Corporation is renowned worldwide for manufacturing some of the most innovative and technologically-advanced gaming machines in the market. It is also known for its well-established ties with Wynn Resorts, as a major stockholder of the company in the United States and Macau. The company is one of the investors awarded with a provisional license from PAGCOR to construct a hotel-resort complex in its Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Entertainment City Manila project.

Okada’s company alone is bringing in more than US$ 1 billion in investments into the country, which will eventually create thousands of jobs for local workers.

For its part, PAGCOR has been beefing up its socio-civic commitments by spearheading President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s Sagip Tulong program, which was designed to provide immediate relief and free medical services to victims of natural calamities as well as aid to the country’s ten poorest provinces. The project already benefited at least 10,000 families in the typhoon-ravaged provinces of Aklan, Iloilo, and most recently, Romblon.

^^ Mr. Efraim C. Genuino for President! :okay:

""OKAY GUYS!!"" kind of urgent!! please vote for the tower in this thread! :lol: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=548772 !! TRUST ME GUYS!! ONCE YOU SEE THIS THREAD!! YOU"LL GONNA THINK TWICE ABOUT THE TOWER"S DESIGN!! sheesh! just hire some foreign design group to redesign the tower while still maintaining or even boosting up it's height!! :lol: OMG !! THE PAGCOR TOWER REALLY IS IN """DESPERATE NEED OF RE~~DESIGN""" :lol:

an overhaul of the tower's design! but i don't think that there is a need to hire a foreign company to do it. there are lots of world class architectural firms here in manila.
or, why not have a design contest for the tower... then let the SSC-phil forumers be the judges. :banana::banana::banana:

Naglagay na ako dun ng request na kung pwede e palitan yung picture ng pagcor tower, e it seems na ganun pa din, so parang wala man lang action na ginawa yung mod na yun.

an overhaul of the tower's design! but i don't think that there is a need to hire a foreign company to do it. there are lots of world class architectural firms here in manila.
or, why not have a design contest for the tower... then let the SSC-phil forumers be the judges. :banana::banana::banana:

ME LIKEY IDEA! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

No, seriously. I like the idea of that.

i have no problems w/ the manila tower design, i actually like it, may pagka mukhang bamboo nga eh, pinoy talaga.... :)

okay higen,... so what they mean by super power was probably the title: "asian tiger" in the 1960s the philippines was the first in line to gain that position. basically, it means one of the most powerful nations that would probably afect a huge deal of the global economy. in the 60s the philippines was a forerunner for this position together with hong kong and korea. basically, what they meant was most likely, without marcos' poor reign over our country, our economy would most likely prooven much larger than the ones of korea and hong kong. traditionally, the four asian tigers were, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, HONG KONG, and SOUTH KOREA. right now, the countriess aiming for that position would be: TAHILAND, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, and THE PHILIPPINES.

A superpower is a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence events and project power on a worldwide scale; it is traditionally considered to be one step higher than a great power.
From the 18th - 20th century only 3 countries qualified: the British Empire, U.S., and Soviet Union


A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale.
today's great powers: U.S. , China, Germany, Fance, Japan, Russia, U.K.

*the Philippines was never considered a power of any sort even if you check any historical record but it was considered economically progressive being 2nd only to Japan during the 1960's. Another reason that RP was 2nd was because of the low standards of asian economies after the war. kung baga mahina pa kumpetisyon sa asia noon kaya tayo umangat sa tulong din ng U.S.

A superpower is a state with a leading position in the international system and the ability to influence events and project power on a worldwide scale; it is traditionally considered to be one step higher than a great power.
From the 18th - 20th century only 3 countries qualified: the British Empire, U.S., and Soviet Union


A great power is a nation or state that has the ability to exert its influence on a global scale.
today's great powers: U.S. , China, Germany, Fance, Japan, Russia, U.K.

*the Philippines was never considered a power of any sort even if you check any historical record but it was considered economically progressive being 2nd only to Japan during the 1960's. Another reason that RP was 2nd was because of the low standards of asian economies after the war. kung baga mahina pa kumpetisyon sa asia noon kaya tayo umangat sa tulong din ng U.S.

nice explanation ona.
yes,NEVER.everyone knows that.

our asian neigbors are really surpasses,leaving us in this status that other's are not even aware.

btw this project would give alot of work for filipinos and it would be a reality.

Can you imagine, if we continued the progress from the 60's till now without hitches. We are probably like Korea right now exporting electronics and very modern but Marcos have to F#$k things up. I think we can still make it, we just need to focus on the country's strengths and it will trickle down to different industries.

. I think we can still make it, we just need to focus on the country's strengths.


Agreed! And yes, we can still make it. Its going to take some work but I kbow we can. I hope it's in my lifetime.

:)okay higen,... so what they mean by super power was probably the title: "asian tiger" in the 1960s the philippines was the first in line to gain that position. basically, it means one of the most powerful nations that would probably afect a huge deal of the global economy. in the 60s the philippines was a forerunner for this position together with hong kong and korea. basically, what they meant was most likely, without marcos' poor reign over our country, our economy would most likely prooven much larger than the ones of korea and hong kong. traditionally, the four asian tigers were, SINGAPORE, TAIWAN, HONG KONG, and SOUTH KOREA. right now, the countriess aiming for that position would be: TAHILAND, MALAYSIA, INDONESIA, and THE PHILIPPINES.

:okay:

Now this sounds more like to my understanding of the Philippines situation back then. Our economy during the 50's and 60's were well on the way to becoming an economic giant in the region and as Mr. amitaliri619 had mentioned in an earlier post, we were richer than all our neighbors, no doubt about that, but keep in mind of course that the world economy was still being rebuilt after the war and the rest of Asia were in shambles. Again the adjective richer in this context is used only as a comparison to our neighbors. I remember my grand dad saying (he was in education then) that a lot of foreign students attend UP, UST and other Universities in the Philippines from our neighboring countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and even far off Thailand because they see our education system as the best in the region (paterned after the US). Malaysians and Indonesians look up to the Pinoy because we were a very progressive nation and they look up to to us as their role model for development back then. Indonesia asked us to help them set up their Military and Malaysia asked us to help them with their agriculture. We were big back then, no doubt but I don't think we achieved any status bigger than an emerging economy during the 60's.

We were certainly more powerfull than all our neighbors back then, economy and Military wise but a Super or even a Great power (as defined by an earlier post) we never were. We certainly had the potential to be a great nation and we were well on the way but we hit a speed bump and until now were still limping. but I'm confident the Philippines will rise again...it's just a matter of how fast we get our act and priorities straight. We need lot of work but we are inching there.

We might have gone a bit off topic there but ok, back to topic. :)

I cant wait for this project to get finished. I have a picture of it in my head already. :lol: This will definitely change the appearance of Metro Manila, especially around the area of the project and real estate prices in the area will definitely jump many folds. A lof of tourism based businesses will definitely sprout around Bay City so all you business minded peeps out there should start thinking of business opportunities. :righton:

:)


I cant wait for this project to get finished. I have a picture of it in my head already. :lol: This will definitely change the appearance of Metro Manila, especially around the area of the project and real estate prices in the area will definitely jump many folds. A lof of tourism based businesses will definitely sprout around Bay City so all you business minded peeps out there should start thinking of business opportunities. :righton:

:okay: This is really going to have a lasting effect on generations of PInoys!

I can't blame others if their perception about our tower design is like that, maybe there is a need for redesigning the tower, but as far as I can see, this is not a crap design, the presentation was not that good but if someone who will do the prfect 3d rendering of it and showing with the surrounding omplex design in bird's eye view, I think this complex design with the tower itself is amazing. But as I've said, this is the trauma of Philippines when it comes to world's popularity, no matter how we uplift our highest means of creativity and skills which the world are benefiting from it before and now, we still suffering from the negative perception of other race, the thing that bothering into my mind, why everytime the topic is about Philippines and the Filipinos achievement, the world seems try to be quiet and not to comment on it.

Planning a spookfest (http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/10062008/companies06.html)

A GROUP of young professionals who call themselves “The Hints” is paying good money for an overnight stay sometime this month at the Manila Film Center (MFC). For this group who want to experience new things, the idea is to hold a spookfest and see who chickens out before dawn.

As everybody knows, there were 48 workers who died during the construction of MFC in the early 1980s. More “sensitive” people who have visited MFC claim the number of disembodied beings has since tripled to also shelter those lost at sea or murdered along the stretch of reclaimed land before it was developed.

By the way, the ladies washroom is said to be the place with the most action—day or night.

****

Did you know 1: Government workers complain that their loan applications—whether for salary or housing loans—with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) have not been moving as quickly as they should because of so-called glitches in the pension fund’s computer system.

On the contrary, the Union Bank of the Philippines, which manages GSIS’s computer system, claims everything is fine and running.

Did you know 2: Development Bank of the Philippines president Reynaldo David insisted on having the last say at the rather-serious Senate hearing on the exposure of local banks in collapsed Lehman Brothers.

He greeted chairman Sen. Ed Angara a “happy birthday” on behalf of all the bankers. Naturally, everybody cracked up and the hearing ended with everybody smiling.

Did you know 3: Megaworld’s negotiations to enter a joint-venture agreement with Nayong Pilipino (NP) inside the Entertainment City project of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. is still ongoing.

You see, NP head Charito Planas wants the theme park to be operational by this Christmas even if that means that Megaworld Corp. chairman Andrew Tan has to authorize three shifts of workers to work on the project round the clock.

In exchange, Megaworld wants to put up a building of its own from which it can generate income.

Meanwhile, there’s a group which wants to rent the man-made lake inside the old Nayong Pilipino near the international airport. Here’s the business concept: no-charge fishing unless you want to have your catch cooked.

****

AIG’s decision to sell its profitable Philippine operation will not only cover The Philippine-American General and Life Insurance Co. and valuable real estate such as the head office on Paseo de Roxas in Makati, the old sprawling headquarters on UN Avenue in Manila, and Philamlife president Jose Cuisia Jr.’s favorite office near his Alabang home.

AIG also has a savings bank, which rebranded only late last year under former Citibank consumer banker Joven Reyes.

And there are also AIG’s investments, including those in Shopwise (the hypermarket concept of the Tantoco Group of Rustan’s) and in Stradcom (at least for the Land Transportation Office’s computerization project).

anyway, we were rebuilding aslo back then! sorry guys, i just read it in wikipedia so i thought it was legitimate considering manila was also very destroyed in the war, havent we also rebuilt and started off from scratch? but maybe you're right! it's okay. like i said, i just read an article. :lol:

:lol: yup! i think we ended up well off topic!! :lol: and yup! the tower is okay in the 3d renderings and it's okay if the design wouldnt be changed, but, if we can have a better design, why not :lol:

ei anu b tlga size nung reclaimed land kasi iba-iba yung nakikita k sa mga blogs...sabi nung iba 40 hectares daw yung iba nmn 80 hectares anu b tlga?????|:(

^^thay say it's 90. i adhere to that,.. haha

Genuine
FIRST PERSON By Alex Magno
Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Once in a rare while, we get people into appointive posts who are capable of weaving grand dreams from where they stand.

Early next year, ground- breaking ceremonies will be held for what will aspire to be Asia’s entertainment capital. On 40 hectares land reclaimed from Manila Bay, massive construction work will begin on a project that will overshadow what Macau has. That project will be financed with $6 to $8 billion in committed direct foreign investment.

Over the 10-year period that the project is required to complete, up to $15 billion in foreign investments will be poured into new hotels, shopping areas, additional office space, amusement parks, convention centers, museums and leisure facilities. It will be the country’s window to the world.

The project is officially known as Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Entertainment City. I am sure, at some point, we will find a more convenient name for this enterprise other than that cumbersome bureaucratic nomenclature.

Let’s just call it Entertainment City in the meantime. That is at least better than calling it Pagcor City.

Calling it Pagcor City calls up images of high stakes gaming — something that gets the bishops unduly excited. Actually the project forecasts only a quarter of its potential revenues from gaming and related activities. The rest will come from family-oriented entertainment facilities similar to what we now see in Las Vegas.

It will be a state-of-the-art facility gathered around what could be one of the tallest towers in the world. The old Nayong Pilipino — a truly miniature garden showcasing our country’s sights and culture — will be resurrected in a grander, more 21st-century scale.

This project will be of such scale that it is expected to be the major magnet for a much larger tourism inflow. Manila is ideally situated as the hub of air traffic for the East Asian region — the fastest growing, most densely populated region of the world. China alone now has a tourism-inclined middle class of 80 million.

The massive tourist inflow into this Entertainment City should spill over throughout the entire archipelago. This is the reason why the League of Provinces of the Philippines recently commended the project’s realization and the man behind this grand idea: Pagcor Chairman Efraim Genuino.

When Genuino assumed the chair of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, he brought big ideas to his new post. Under his imaginative leadership, the corporation was not only rescued from the financial doldrums. Its earnings for 2007 were double what it was in 2001. For his exemplary work for the gaming industry, the Pagcor chair has been awarded honorary citizen of Las Vegas.

Over and above doing what Pagcor usually does, making that corporation the top Philippine taxpayer, Genuino imagined something even bigger. He saw a thoroughly modern Asian city rising above Manila Bay.

It was a vision that was always at the top of his mind. He found the right area for it, had architects and urban planners conceptualize this new city, conferred with potential investors from all over the world. He just pushed and pushed and pushed. The grand vision was fully thought through, every detail refined and every business consideration attended to.

Genuino was simply tireless. He was obsessed. A grand thing like this one, a bold idea that decidedly steps out of the box, requires complete obsession. The man had it.

Eventually, the bold idea gained critical mass. Enough investors were drawn to support it. Domestic political support for the enterprise was overwhelming. The economics of the whole thing made more and more sense to all who looked at it closely and fairly.

Enough of attempting to pull our economy up by its bootstraps, building an irrigation system here and experimenting with hybrid rice there. If we remain within the old economic framework, we will be the Sick Man of Asia for the rest of this young century.

Our best bet for a dynamic future involves unleashing our service industries to the max. Our geography, our culture, our inclinations and, yes, our topographic limitations dictate that.

We will never be Asia’s agricultural superpower nor the region’s industrial base. But we can be its cosmopolitan core. Its center of leisure. Its cultural hub in the new century. We have the world-wise manpower for that.

Genuino understood all these. Even as the grand enterprise might have seemed a quixotic windmill at the onset, the man was not deterred.

A project of this scale, of this degree of boldness, required a leader of great passion. Genuino had it.

Something as imaginative as this one would surely attract resistance from the timid, from the parochial and from the small-minded. Genuino had the patience to do the intricate public diplomacy required to break down resistance to a revolutionary economic leap.

The billions that will go into the construction frenzy next year will come from private investors, and it will come at a time when our economy needs infra spending the most in order to offset the effects of a crisis-ridden global economy. Tens of thousands of high-grade jobs will be created because of this.

When ground is finally broken a few months from now, Genuino should wield a genuine gold shovel. He and the project he so stubbornly worked to realized deserve it.

^^ Thanks IslandSon.PH.

Inspiring article Mr. Magno! E City is finally taking off!!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

Construction of Philippines' Las Vegas version to start by 2009

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/07/2008 8:10 PM

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After several hurdles--ranging from regulatory to moral issues--the construction of Entertainment City, touted as the Philippines' Las Vegas version, is finally set to start by early next year.

The local government of Paranaque recently gave its official endorsement for the project's tourism ecozone status, the last in its long list of pre-construction requirements. The city hall resolution provides tax incentives and real property tax postponement to investors

"We expect to begin construction of the project by first quarter of next year. The project will then take about five years to complete," Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) President Rafael Francisco said. Government-run PAGCOR is bankrolling the project.

The Entertainment City, which is expected to pull in total investments of around $15 billion, lies on a 150-hectare reclaimed property near the SM Mall of Asia. It is envisioned to have about 6 to 8 hotels, theme parks, shopping malls and other recreational establishments.

Francisco said three big companies have already expressed interest to invest in the project, namely Japan's Aruze Corp., Alliance Global, and the SM Group of Companies.

"This project will result in about 400,000 jobs, including the multiplier effect it will have on contractors, cement producers, and other establishments to be built around the Entertainment city," Francisco said

The local government of Paranaque expects to earn from the project revenues of about P500 million in revenues every year.

Communities around the area initially balked at the project due to concerns on prostitution.

as of 10/07/2008 8:10 PM

I don't know if it already posted it here?

Construction of Philippines' Las Vegas version to start by 2009 (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/10/07/08/construction-philippines-las-vegas-version-start-2009)

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/07/2008 8:10 PM


After several hurdles--ranging from regulatory to moral issues--the construction of Entertainment City, touted as the Philippines' Las Vegas version, is finally set to start by early next year.

The local government of Paranaque recently gave its official endorsement for the project's tourism ecozone status, the last in its long list of pre-construction requirements. The city hall resolution provides tax incentives and real property tax postponement to investors

"We expect to begin construction of the project by first quarter of next year. The project will then take about five years to complete," Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) President Rafael Francisco said. Government-run PAGCOR is bankrolling the project.

The Entertainment City, which is expected to pull in total investments of around $15 billion, lies on a 150-hectare reclaimed property near the SM Mall of Asia. It is envisioned to have about 6 to 8 hotels, theme parks, shopping malls and other recreational establishments.

Francisco said three big companies have already expressed interest to invest in the project, namely Japan's Aruze Corp., Alliance Global, and the SM Group of Companies.

"This project will result in about 400,000 jobs, including the multiplier effect it will have on contractors, cement producers, and other establishments to be built around the Entertainment city," Francisco said

The local government of Paranaque expects to earn from the project revenues of about P500 million in revenues every year.

Communities around the area initially balked at the project due to concerns on prostitution.

as of 10/07/2008 8:10 PM

Entertainment City or Tourism City...
They should make up their minds... :lol:

Entertainment City or Tourism City...
They should make up their minds... :lol:

I prefer Entertainment City - covers everything that is happy, fun thru shows, rides, gambling, etc. as you like it...

wow! umpisahan na bilis!

Malapit na ang 2009!!! Yahoooooooooo

Maganda na yung "Manila Bay City" lang.... :)

or Bay City, Manila :)

OMG...in five years the Philippines will be well on its way to economic prosperity ^.^

Parañaque OKs Pagcor’s P25-B entertainment city

Wednesday, October 8, 2008


The Parañaque City government formally approved the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor)’s plan to build its P25-billion entertainment city yesterday morning.

Members of the city council ceremonially signed a resolution that declares a 150-hectare property along Roxas Boulevard and Costal Road as a Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) zone. The resolution was actually passed last Sept. 19.

Mayor Florencio Bernabe Jr. and Pagcor president and chief operating officer (COO) Butch Francisco witnessed the ceremony, which they said will generate 250,000 jobs and rake in at least P1 billion in tax revenues for the city.

The former reclamation area was reclassified as a tourism economic zone in order to grant benefits to investors such as tax holidays and other similar incentives.

Bernabe said construction is expected to start soon since Pagcor has put up a field office on the site. He said the construction of new luxury hotels, restaurants, malls, convention centers, theaters, cultural centers, museums, amusement parks, residential villages, and an observation tower will generate hundreds of jobs for both residents and non-residents of Parañaque. – Michael Punongbayan
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Metro&p=49&type=2&sec=26&aid=20081007199

or Bay City, Manila :)

Me likey 'Bay City'...it sounds betterer!

^onga. mas sosyal pakinggan. i dunno why but "bay city, manila" reminds me of "bond. james bond.":lol:

^^ I have to agree.. entertainment city or tourism city are just way too generic and effin' long. "Bay City Manila" not only identifies the location but associates it with water and its tropical setting.

P25 Billion? Ok our journalists are officially retards.

yehey......thank you for this good news.......malapit na ....2009 na!

or Bay City, Manila :)

This is better :)

[B]
Communities around the area initially balked at the project due to concerns on prostitution.




may point din sila, baka nga naman di magtagal/ maglaon ay maging attraction sa lugar ay ang prostitution...syempre hindi maiiwasan na maghanap ang mga foreigner niyan.

Pero... bakit mo pipiliing magbenta ng laman kung madami ka namang pag-pipilian na pwedeng pagkakitaan;)

everywhere you go there will be prostitution, its the oldest profession in history. Enforcement of laws is the key in curbing this problem.

everywhere you go there will be prostitution, its the oldest profession in history. Enforcement of laws is the key in curbing this problem.

Agreed!

P25 Billion? Ok our journalists are officially retards.

You just realized that now? :lol:

OMG! Are they somewhat dumb enough? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Bay City, me likey! :okay:

Construction of Philippines' Las Vegas version to start by 2009

abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/07/2008 8:10 PM

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After several hurdles--ranging from regulatory to moral issues--the construction of Entertainment City, touted as the Philippines' Las Vegas version, is finally set to start by early next year.

The local government of Paranaque recently gave its official endorsement for the project's tourism ecozone status, the last in its long list of pre-construction requirements. The city hall resolution provides tax incentives and real property tax postponement to investors

"We expect to begin construction of the project by first quarter of next year. The project will then take about five years to complete," Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) President Rafael Francisco said. Government-run PAGCOR is bankrolling the project.

The Entertainment City, which is expected to pull in total investments of around $15 billion, lies on a 150-hectare reclaimed property near the SM Mall of Asia. It is envisioned to have about 6 to 8 hotels, theme parks, shopping malls and other recreational establishments.

Francisco said three big companies have already expressed interest to invest in the project, namely Japan's Aruze Corp., Alliance Global, and the SM Group of Companies.

"This project will result in about 400,000 jobs, including the multiplier effect it will have on contractors, cement producers, and other establishments to be built around the Entertainment city," Francisco said

The local government of Paranaque expects to earn from the project revenues of about P500 million in revenues every year.

Communities around the area initially balked at the project due to concerns on prostitution.

as of 10/07/2008 8:10 PM

I don't know if it already posted it here?

Ang lapit na! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana::cheers::cheers::cheers: :cheers2:

nayong filipino na lang, wala na ba ang ating "pride" biliang mga pilipino? =D
at saka bakit wala sa "rendering" ang mga modelo ng iba't ibang tanawin sa pilipinas?
sana magawan nila ng paraan para lagyan ng maliit na modelo ng subterrenean park, tubbataha "reef", bulkang mayon, tsokolateng burol, banaue kanin "terreraces".
sana yung gulong ni ferris ay huwag twaging "manila eye nor" mata ng maynila.
sana sa may modelo ng tubbataha e-lubog ang gulong.

hinde na akong makapaghintay para mag "rappel" sa torre ng pagcor... =D

I prefer "Philippine Tourism City" or "EnterGamble City" these sound good to me :lol:

^^ yeah, the name should be globally appealing. "entertainment city" is good for me though.

"BAY CITY MANILA" din ako. Para alam agad kung saan yun kapag narinig ng mga foreigners, generic na masyado yung entertainment city and tourism city.

anyone up for a poll? :nocrook:

I think when you say "Bay City, Manila" its... Bay City, Manila = (Bagong Nayong Pilipino - Entertainment or Tourism City) + (Mall of Asia Complex)...

Just imagine that Big casinos and Biggest Mall in one area...

They should attach "Manila" to the name of this project para naman ma-associate yung name na "Manila" to theme parks,hotels,malls etc. Para pag narinig ng mga foreigners yung "Manila" maganda yung papasok sa isip nila at para mabura na din yung notion na madumi at magulo ang "Manila".

Leave Manila out of it. it's much better if Manila is associated with Culture like New York and San Francisco and not gambling like Las Vegas and Macau. I am so so excited about this project though, I really hope it will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

^^ with or without manila as its name, manila will be associated with gambling once pagcor plan is done.

That is just your assumption (But I guess that is better than being associated with homeless people/vagrants, beggars, slums, pickpockets, pollution). Technically it is not in Manila it's in Pasay, which, although part of Metro Manila, can be promoted by the DOT as a totally different destination in itself. It all boils down to packaging and advertisement. Manila could still be associated with culture, arts and history, if the city can get it's act together.

^^ "Pagcor City" is in Paranaque not in Pasay. The rest of the metro will forever be known to the world as Manila.

That is why we need to change that perception, just go and read entries of foreigners here http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/ . There tourist see Manila as a dingy place. We have Makati, we have Fort Bonifacio, and tourists are coming, we have the chance to clean up the image of Manila. Our Tourism secretary is doing a great job so Pagcor, being a governement agency should cooperate.

If people want to retain Manila, then we're better off promoting the whole metro as the New Manila for tourism's purposes. :)

But for Pagcor's humongous project, I prefer the name E-City, short for Entertainment City. Another option is to call it as Lifestyle City. :banana:These names may be generic but tourists look for these things when or before they travel.

Bay City sounds like the Bay area of California so there's no uniqueness. While Bay City Manila will simply remind people of the polluted Manila Bay and the nearby not-so-spectacular Pasay City. :nuts:

That is why we need to change that perception, just go and read entries of foreigners here http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Philippines/ . There tourist see Manila as a dingy place. We have Makati, we have Fort Bonifacio, and tourists are coming, we have the chance to clean up the image of Manila. Our Tourism secretary is doing a great job so Pagcor, being a governement agency should cooperate.

its the people of Manila who should cooperate with DOT. Ang tao ay tulad ng isang kosmetiko (pampaganda) at ang Manila ay isa namang dalaga...kung pangit ang pamumuhay ng mga Manileño, ganito din ang magiging hitsura/ imahe ng Maynila;)

Isang halimbawa ang Ermita, lugar na kilala bilang pugad ng mga prostitutes (noon at ngayon?).

Isang halimbawa naman ng pagbabago ay ang kahabaan ng Baywalk, dati-rati kilala ito na luagr ng mga snatcher, adik, at mga prostitutes~ pero binago at binihisan/ dinamitan ng maayos na damit para makilalang muli at balikan ng tao.

Kung ang buong Maynila ay madadamitan lang ng bagong damit at paliliguan~ kaya nating ibalik ang dati nitong bango at kagandahan na binabalik-balikan ng mga dayuhan.

Ang Bagong Nayong Pilipino ay isa lamang deodorant~ aalisin ang baho mo habang meron pang laman pero nauubos din kinalaunan.

Ang solusyon ay ang paliligo ng buong katawan at sabayan ng pagmimintini (maintenance) para hindi ka layuan ng tao:)

its the people of Manila who should cooperate with DOT. Ang tao ay tulad ng isang kosmetiko (pampaganda) at ang Manila ay isa namang dalaga...kung pangit ang pamumuhay ng mga Manileño, ganito din ang magiging hitsura/ imahe ng Maynila;)

Isang halimbawa ang Ermita, lugar na kilala bilang pugad ng mga prostitutes (noon at ngayon?).

Isang halimbawa naman ng pagbabago ay ang kahabaan ng Baywalk, dati-rati kilala ito na luagr ng mga snatcher, adik, at mga prostitutes~ pero binago at binihisan/ dinamitan ng maayos na damit para makilalang muli at balikan ng tao.

Kung ang buong Maynila ay madadamitan lang ng bagong damit at paliliguan~ kaya nating ibalik ang dati nitong bango at kagandahan na binabalik-balikan ng mga dayuhan.

Ang Bagong Nayong Pilipino ay isa lamang deodorant~ aalisin ang baho mo habang meron pang laman pero nauubos din kinalaunan.

Ang solusyon ay ang paliligo ng buong katawan at sabayan ng pagmimintini (maintenance) para hindi ka layuan ng tao:)

WOW! i agree! let's go for it! :cheers: it would be best for our great nation's capital.

^^yes! but we need to find the right person to do the task:) a person who can fulfill our dreams:D

And that's a person who has nationalism in his heart that he wants everything better for every Filipino and for the foreigners alike, to become our guests and be well-known to the world, being the country which is The Best of Both Worlds.

^^yes! but we need to find the right person to do the task:) a person who can fulfill our dreams:D

I think we all know who can do it, Bayani Fernando. He may not be popular to the poor people because they need to follow rules but still he has the track record of getting things done, just look at Marikina, from a s*%t hole town to a model city. I think he can turn things around and maybe instill discipline to all of the philippines.

^^ But I personally don't like the North Korean poster like posing of Bayani all around the Metro. It sucks. :rant:

I think we all know who can do it, Bayani Fernando. He may not be popular to the poor people because they need to follow rules but still he has the track record of getting things done, just look at Marikina, from a s*%t hole town to a model city. I think he can turn things around and maybe instill discipline to all of the philippines.

:okay:

^^ But I personally don't like the North Korean poster like posing of Bayani all around the Metro. It sucks. :rant:

I like Bayani nut I ahvent seen one of these posters. Any one has pics of these posters? Im curious to see what his North Korean like pose look like...:lol:

I cant see one from where Iam unfortunately...

Saturday, October 11, 2008
Jumpstarting the shift of Pagcor's image
By Gigie A. Agtay

HE MAY have failed to fulfill his father's wish for him to be a PMAer (graduate of Philippine Military Academy) but Arthur O. Malatag has made a name for himself as branch manager of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) in Davao.

He inched his way up the ladder from being a young dealer in 1970 at Chateau Royale, Wells Fargo, and Parola.

What's your take on the Mindanao crisis? Discuss views with other readers

"Nag-umpisa ako as dealer sa mga illegal casinos along Dewey Boulevard (now Roxas Boulevard) at the age of 17," Malatag said, adding that casinos were illegal that time. "Kami yung laging nire-raid."

"Pag natimbrehan na kami na may padating na raiding team, we would clear the room of table games paraphernalia. By the time nakapasok na sila, maririnig na nila kaming kumakanta ng 'De Colores' or 'Happy Birthday'," he recalled. "There was one time nabuko ako kasi when they checked on my suit's inside pocket nandoon lahat ng joker cards."

He said he was an irregular first year college student at the University of the East when he worked at the casino. He said he shifted courses but never finished one.

"Di ko nakayanan dahil gabi ang trabaho ko sa casino," he said.

When Martial Law was declared in 1972, then President Ferdinand Marcos ordered all the illegal casinos closed. Malatag was jobless prompting him to join the movies.

"Nag extra muna ako sa pelikula as supporting actor in YLY film productions. Among the big stars na nakasama ko were the late Ramon Zamora in 'Landas ng Hari' and Jay Ilagan, tsaka si Victor Wood in 'Kay Lupit Mo Pag-ibig', Rhodora Salve," Malatag said.

To augment his income as a supporting actor, Malatag also worked as a checker.

"Ito yung taga check ng sales ng pelikula sa mga sinehan," he said. "During the shooting naman, I would also assume the role as assistant production manager."

Acting for the big screen wasn't a piece of cake though. "Mahirap makipagsabayan sa mga artistang magagaling kumanta like Manny de Leon, Eddie Peregrina, Victor Wood, Romeo Mallari kaya I joined the SOS daredevil stuntmen. Kasama ko dito si Rudy Fernandez," he said.

"My first personal appearance ko as an actor was in Davao City at the New Davao Theater. Dito din ako nagkaroon ng kauna-unahang Arthur Ortiz (his screen name) fans club." After five movies, the government allowed the resumption of floating casino operations on December 30, 1975.

"I started again as dealer. Kinuha yung dating mga dealers ng Dewey Boulevard," he said.

In 1977, he was promoted as Junior Pit Boss -- a supervisory position. In 1986 after the Edsa Revolution, Pagcor was named New Pagcor under the administration of then president Corazon Aquino. Malatag became Pit Manager in 1986 and eventually promoted as Casino Shift Manager in 1990. As such he was assigned in three of the 14 Pagcor branches nationwide -- Manila, Para¤aque, and Silahis Intenational Hotel.

The branch manager position was then entrusted to him in 2003 and he has stayed in Davao since then.

In Malatag's 34 years in the casino industry, he has this to say, "Pagcor is a serious business and has its moral responsibiliy to its clientele and the community."

With Mr. Efraim G. Eugenio as its current chairman and CEO, Pagcor is the 4th largest revenue-making agency for the government after Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Bureau of Customs (BOC) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), with a net income of P40.6 billion in 2007.

"We don't tolerate players na di na umuuwi lalo na pag nakikita namin sa circuit TV na ilang araw na sila sa casino. We remind them not to play and spend beyond their means. Playing is just for fun and what you can afford and we will never allow na masira ang pamilya dahil sa gaming," he said.

"Dabawenyos though are not impulsive gamblers. They know their limits and when to stop," he said.

Alongside Pagcor's moral responsibility is its social commitment to the help the underprivileged and the less fortunate. To date, Pagcor Davao has donated for beneficiaries of 32 groups and non-government organizations like Bantay Bata, SOS Children's Village, Balay Dangupan, LIngap Center, Davao Autism Center Foundation, Davao City Jail's Juvenile Welfare Unit. It has also been involved in outreach programs like medical/dental missions, construction of waiting sheds, "patubig" projects in far-flung barangays.

It has currently launched "Sagip-Musmos" project for poor school children and will soon partner with Davao City Rotary clubs in implementing "Bida (Bata Iwas Sa Droga).

Malatag's goal is to take a direct hand in jumpstarting Pagcor chair's vision of shifting from purely gaming to world-class family oriented entertainment in Davao City and Mindanao as a whole.

Changing Pagcor's corporate image is now part of its move to expand business by banking on other forms of wholesome and world-class entertainment that caters to families with appreciation for arts and culture.

For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here.

(October 11, 2008 issue)

:okay:



I like Bayani nut I ahvent seen one of these posters. Any one has pics of these posters? Im curious to see what his North Korean like pose look like...:lol:

I cant see one from where Iam unfortunately...

If i can just find or capture my own, I'll post it here.

By the way, are you in Indonesia or some SEA nation?

its the people of Manila who should cooperate with DOT. Ang tao ay tulad ng isang kosmetiko (pampaganda) at ang Manila ay isa namang dalaga...kung pangit ang pamumuhay ng mga Manileño, ganito din ang magiging hitsura/ imahe ng Maynila;)

Isang halimbawa ang Ermita, lugar na kilala bilang pugad ng mga prostitutes (noon at ngayon?).

Isang halimbawa naman ng pagbabago ay ang kahabaan ng Baywalk, dati-rati kilala ito na luagr ng mga snatcher, adik, at mga prostitutes~ pero binago at binihisan/ dinamitan ng maayos na damit para makilalang muli at balikan ng tao.

Kung ang buong Maynila ay madadamitan lang ng bagong damit at paliliguan~ kaya nating ibalik ang dati nitong bango at kagandahan na binabalik-balikan ng mga dayuhan.

Ang Bagong Nayong Pilipino ay isa lamang deodorant~ aalisin ang baho mo habang meron pang laman pero nauubos din kinalaunan.

Ang solusyon ay ang paliligo ng buong katawan at sabayan ng pagmimintini (maintenance) para hindi ka layuan ng tao:)

Yeah, I forgot to mention the most important and vital 'ingredient' change within each citizen. Discipline and genuine love for the country, common courtesy, law and order, then we're all set.

One bright light, almost all the posts in travelblog.org about the Philippines mention how friendly and helpful Filipinos are, we need to keep it up, and not demonstrate only to foreigners (as in, "pakitang tao" and gracious host) but also towards each other.

If i can just find or capture my own, I'll post it here.

By the way, are you in Indonesia or some SEA nation?

Coolness! Thanks bro!

Nope Im not in Indonesia nor Indonesian, I'm Pinoy. I've just been there couple of times and I like it's country side. I see you know where and what Borubodur is ;). But I am somewhere in SEA...:lol:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_289172.html

Oct 13, 2008

MEMO FROM MANILA

Manila to build casinos

Work begins next year on 150ha of reclaimed land overlooking famous bay to boost tourism
By Alastair McIndoe, Philippines Correspondent

MANILA: A SIGN on a dirt track points the way to Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City, an empty expanse of Manila landfill right now that is being developed into a gamblers' nirvana of slot machines, roulette wheels and card tables.
Construction is set to start early next year on a Las Vagas-style strip on 150 hectares of reclaimed land overlooking Manila's famous bay. Bulldozers and other earth moving equipment are already preparing the thicket-covered land.

The Philippines is among several Asian countries, including Singapore, using the pulling power of casinos to launch entertainment infrastructure to boost tourism.

With big-name foreign and local investors signed up, government-backed Bagong Nayong - Tagalog for New City - is finally in play after several years on the drawing board. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, or Pagcor, the government's gambling regulator, is handling the project.

Its headquarters on the fifth floor of the Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila in the city's Malate tourist belt have the rarefied look of a well-heeled corporation in the private sector, worlds apart from the usually dowdy government offices here

But then Pagcor, which operates 13 casinos dotted around the country, is the second biggest contributor to the treasury after tax payers. Its revenue last year totalled 25 billion pesos (S$783 million).

A few floors below the suite of executive offices, punters are hunched over roulette tables or tap away at the banks of jackpot slot machines. It is four in the afternoon and the place is humming.

Foreigners, at a glance, seem to outnumber the locals. Like their neighbours, Filipinos are passionate gamblers, though with a third of the nation living in poverty, cockfighting, lotteries and illegal numbers games are the flutters of the masses.

Pagcor's president Rafael Butch Francisco, a business consultant by profession, told The Straits Times that the government will declare Bagong Nayong an economic tourism zone before the end of the year. This, he explained, will enable the three private groups that have so far been given casino licenses to get substantial tax breaks and other incentives for their investment in the project.

Each investor has put up non-refundable deposits of US$100 million (S$148 million), showing that serious money to develop the area is on the table.

'So construction should start in the first quarter of 2008,' said Mr Francisco.

Malaysian resort-casino specialists Genting International has tied up with a local company owned by property tycoon Andrew Tan. He was ranked the fourth-richest Filipino with an estimated worth of US$1.1 billion by Forbes magazine last year. The joint venture is taking 40ha, and their US$1 billion concept includes a Warner Brothers theme park.

Japan's Aruze Corporation, which makes gaming machines, plans to build a 2,000-room hotel-casino called the Okada Resort Manila Bay on a 30ha site that will include an oceanarium and a birds-eye view ferris wheel.

Philippine retailing giant SM Investments has a 30ha site close to its Mall of Asia, the world's third-largest shopping centre.

Some big wheels in the gambling industry, including American casino operator Steve Wynn and Australia's James Packer, have reportedly taken a look at Bagong Nayong and passed for now.

The Philippines can be a hard sell. Concerns over corruption and lack of transparency, coupled with red tape, have long been blamed as barriers to doing business here by foreign chambers of commerce.

As the gambling regulator, Pagcor was able to cut the red tape - and so far there has not been a whiff of scandal over the project. 'We want our investors to be comfortable, and above all make money here,' said Mr Francisco.

The terms call for a partial opening of all three projects by end-2010, though Bagong Nayong may take 10 years - and as many billions of dollars - to finish.

On paper at least, a casino-led entertainment strip with hotels, restaurants, shows, shops, leisure parks and convention centres overlooking Manila Bay should be a sizable tourist draw.

But despite its many charms, this country attracted only three million visitors last year, less than a sixth of arrivals in neighbouring Malaysia. Still, growth from East Asia, Bagong Nayong's target market, is rising, with arrivals from China up 18 per cent in the first half of this year.

Pagcor is counting on the famed friendliness of Filipinos to make the development stand out. 'You can never go wrong with our hospitality,' said Mr Francisco.

Still, some worry there already are too many casino ventures in the pipeline in South-east Asia, and that the meltdown on global financial markets could cause some to be pulled or pushed back.

Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines are all building, or planning to build, large integrated casino-resorts. Japan and Taiwan are expected to legalise gambling, possibly next year in the case of Japan, while South Korea seems to be warming to the idea.

What is more, Macau, which has now overtaken Las Vegas in gambling revenues, is building hotel-casinos as fast as it can on reclaimed land at Cotai.

So will there be enough to go round? The answer seems to be 'yes'.

A recent PricewaterhouseCoppers' report on global gaming identified Asia-Pacific as the industry's fastest growth market. Its authors predict gambling revenue in the region surging to US$37.2 billion in 2012, just over double last year's level.

The Catholic Church in this mainly Christian country has put up less resistance than might be imagined given its opposition to gambling. Three bishops - albeit retired ones, it has to be said - even blessed Bagong Nayong's ceremonial ground breaking in April.

'We've been trying to assure the Church for the past two years that there is not going to be casinos in every corner of this development,' said Mr Francisco.

The government badly needs the tax income for budget support. It will get 25 per cent of the take from gambling and 5 per cent on non-gaming revenues. Both, however, are well below the Philippine corporate tax rate of 35 per cent.

As for the 40,000 Filipinos to be employed in the entertainment complexes, they will be paid international salaries under the terms of the operating licenses. These, said Mr Francisco, would be on a par with Singapore and Macau.

hip hip hooray!! :banana: :banana: :banana:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_289172.html

Oct 13, 2008

MEMO FROM MANILA

Manila to build casinos

Work begins next year on 150ha of reclaimed land overlooking famous bay to boost tourism
By Alastair McIndoe, Philippines Correspondent

MANILA: A SIGN on a dirt track points the way to Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City, an empty expanse of Manila landfill right now that is being developed into a gamblers' nirvana of slot machines, roulette wheels and card tables.
Construction is set to start early next year on a Las Vagas-style strip on 150 hectares of reclaimed land overlooking Manila's famous bay. Bulldozers and other earth moving equipment are already preparing the thicket-covered land.

The Philippines is among several Asian countries, including Singapore, using the pulling power of casinos to launch entertainment infrastructure to boost tourism.

With big-name foreign and local investors signed up, government-backed Bagong Nayong - Tagalog for New City - is finally in play after several years on the drawing board. The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, or Pagcor, the government's gambling regulator, is handling the project.

Its headquarters on the fifth floor of the Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila in the city's Malate tourist belt have the rarefied look of a well-heeled corporation in the private sector, worlds apart from the usually dowdy government offices here

But then Pagcor, which operates 13 casinos dotted around the country, is the second biggest contributor to the treasury after tax payers. Its revenue last year totalled 25 billion pesos (S$783 million).

A few floors below the suite of executive offices, punters are hunched over roulette tables or tap away at the banks of jackpot slot machines. It is four in the afternoon and the place is humming.

Foreigners, at a glance, seem to outnumber the locals. Like their neighbours, Filipinos are passionate gamblers, though with a third of the nation living in poverty, cockfighting, lotteries and illegal numbers games are the flutters of the masses.

Pagcor's president Rafael Butch Francisco, a business consultant by profession, told The Straits Times that the government will declare Bagong Nayong an economic tourism zone before the end of the year. This, he explained, will enable the three private groups that have so far been given casino licenses to get substantial tax breaks and other incentives for their investment in the project.

Each investor has put up non-refundable deposits of US$100 million (S$148 million), showing that serious money to develop the area is on the table.

'So construction should start in the first quarter of 2008,' said Mr Francisco.

Malaysian resort-casino specialists Genting International has tied up with a local company owned by property tycoon Andrew Tan. He was ranked the fourth-richest Filipino with an estimated worth of US$1.1 billion by Forbes magazine last year. The joint venture is taking 40ha, and their US$1 billion concept includes a Warner Brothers theme park.

Japan's Aruze Corporation, which makes gaming machines, plans to build a 2,000-room hotel-casino called the Okada Resort Manila Bay on a 30ha site that will include an oceanarium and a birds-eye view ferris wheel.

Philippine retailing giant SM Investments has a 30ha site close to its Mall of Asia, the world's third-largest shopping centre.

Some big wheels in the gambling industry, including American casino operator Steve Wynn and Australia's James Packer, have reportedly taken a look at Bagong Nayong and passed for now.

The Philippines can be a hard sell. Concerns over corruption and lack of transparency, coupled with red tape, have long been blamed as barriers to doing business here by foreign chambers of commerce.

As the gambling regulator, Pagcor was able to cut the red tape - and so far there has not been a whiff of scandal over the project. 'We want our investors to be comfortable, and above all make money here,' said Mr Francisco.

The terms call for a partial opening of all three projects by end-2010, though Bagong Nayong may take 10 years - and as many billions of dollars - to finish.

On paper at least, a casino-led entertainment strip with hotels, restaurants, shows, shops, leisure parks and convention centres overlooking Manila Bay should be a sizable tourist draw.

But despite its many charms, this country attracted only three million visitors last year, less than a sixth of arrivals in neighbouring Malaysia. Still, growth from East Asia, Bagong Nayong's target market, is rising, with arrivals from China up 18 per cent in the first half of this year.

Pagcor is counting on the famed friendliness of Filipinos to make the development stand out. 'You can never go wrong with our hospitality,' said Mr Francisco.

Still, some worry there already are too many casino ventures in the pipeline in South-east Asia, and that the meltdown on global financial markets could cause some to be pulled or pushed back.

Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and the Philippines are all building, or planning to build, large integrated casino-resorts. Japan and Taiwan are expected to legalise gambling, possibly next year in the case of Japan, while South Korea seems to be warming to the idea.

What is more, Macau, which has now overtaken Las Vegas in gambling revenues, is building hotel-casinos as fast as it can on reclaimed land at Cotai.

So will there be enough to go round? The answer seems to be 'yes'.

A recent PricewaterhouseCoppers' report on global gaming identified Asia-Pacific as the industry's fastest growth market. Its authors predict gambling revenue in the region surging to US$37.2 billion in 2012, just over double last year's level.

The Catholic Church in this mainly Christian country has put up less resistance than might be imagined given its opposition to gambling. Three bishops - albeit retired ones, it has to be said - even blessed Bagong Nayong's ceremonial ground breaking in April.

'We've been trying to assure the Church for the past two years that there is not going to be casinos in every corner of this development,' said Mr Francisco.

The government badly needs the tax income for budget support. It will get 25 per cent of the take from gambling and 5 per cent on non-gaming revenues. Both, however, are well below the Philippine corporate tax rate of 35 per cent.

As for the 40,000 Filipinos to be employed in the entertainment complexes, they will be paid international salaries under the terms of the operating licenses. These, said Mr Francisco, would be on a par with Singapore and Macau.

Woah! Coolness! :okay: 40,000 +++ Filipinos will have a goodjob. I just hope they dont spend the money the way they earned it...

'So construction should start in the first quarter of 2008,' said Mr Francisco.

Even Singaporean journalists make mistakes. :)

Malaysian resort-casino specialists Genting International has tied up with a local company owned by property tycoon Andrew Tan. He was ranked the fourth-richest Filipino with an estimated worth of US$1.1 billion by Forbes magazine last year. The joint venture is taking 40ha, and their US$1 billion concept includes a Warner Brothers theme park.

There you have it! Coming from Singapore itself (Straits Times)! Warner Brothers = Universal Studios.

^^[QUOTE=diz;26532860]Even Singaporean journalists make mistakes. :)

:lol: Wahahaha :lol:

I didnt notice that one...So the 25Billion Pesos project, according to Phils press, will start first quarter of 2008 said the Sing Strait Times?

:lol::lol::rofl:

any journalist in the world, for that matter, may commit mistake in the exercise of his profession. first world countries are not spared.:nuts:

^^[QUOTE=diz;26532860]Even Singaporean journalists make mistakes. :)

:lol: Wahahaha :lol:

I didnt notice that one...So the 25Billion Pesos project, according to Phils press, will start first quarter of 2008 said the Sing Strait Times?

:lol::lol::rofl:

Even Singaporean journalists make mistakes. :)



There you have it! Coming from Singapore itself (Straits Times)! Warner Brothers = Universal Studios.

Yeah, I forgot to mention the most important and vital 'ingredient' change within each citizen. Discipline and genuine love for the country, common courtesy, law and order, then we're all set.

One bright light, almost all the posts in travelblog.org about the Philippines mention how friendly and helpful Filipinos are, we need to keep it up, and not demonstrate only to foreigners (as in, "pakitang tao" and gracious host) but also towards each other.

very wise words. you know the difference between developed country and third world country? the former are kind to their fellow countrymen, the latter are apathetic to each other.

There you have it! Coming from Singapore itself (Straits Times)! Warner Brothers = Universal Studios.
Awesome! That is thinking that Singapore does have that contract limiting the establishment of a Universal Studios theme park within Sentosa's premises.

There you have it! Coming from Singapore itself (Straits Times)! Warner Brothers = Universal Studios.

Nope, Warner Brothers is a different studio/group from Universal Studios.

wlang nang urungan yan ksi for one thing nag deposit na yong first three big serious players ng 100 million dollar non refundable each

Nope, Warner Brothers is a different studio/group from Universal Studios.

really?
I always get the "Warner Bros. Universal Studios" thing stuck in my head after watching this show.....

But honestly, I've never heard of any Warner Bros. theme park. :lol:

Warner Bros. used to own the Six Flags amusement parks, I think. At least I saw Bugs Bunny and other Warner Bros. characters there. :D

I'd prefer a theme park like Universal Studios/Disneyland over an amusement park like Six Flags though. I think an amusement park would be a waste of space considering Pagcor City's limited space, whereas a theme park would be a much better use of the space.

kulang kulang ung report.. walang binanggit na pagcor tower ah.

Mas gusto ko Warner Brothers Theme Park. "Six Flags"

is it me. or magandang pangalan ang "bagong nayong" sana ito na lang name nya, simple pero astig

really?
I always get the "Warner Bros. Universal Studios" thing stuck in my head after watching this show.....

But honestly, I've never heard of any Warner Bros. theme park. :lol:

Warner Bros. used to own the Six Flags amusement parks, I think. At least I saw Bugs Bunny and other Warner Bros. characters there. :D

I'd prefer a theme park like Universal Studios/Disneyland over an amusement park like Six Flags though. I think an amusement park would be a waste of space considering Pagcor City's limited space, whereas a theme park would be a much better use of the space.



There's a Warner Brothers Movie World (http://movieworld.myfun.com.au/Park-Info/Interactive-Map.htm) in Gold Coast, Australia :)

really?
I always get the "Warner Bros. Universal Studios" thing stuck in my head after watching this show.....

But honestly, I've never heard of any Warner Bros. theme park. :lol:

Warner Bros. used to own Great america in Santa Clara, Ca. The park still has rights to use Warner Bros. characters though.

EAST WEST
By Julius F. Fortuna
Friends urging Genuino to run in 2010:nuts:

The plan to erect the country’s first Entertainment City (E-City) in Manila’s famous reclaimed area—quite ambitious if you ask me—is finally getting the public notice that it deserves. It also draws attention to the author of the project.

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has endorsed the project. It regards the E-City as an economic bridge to the future, at a time of financial crisis in the globe. The project will boost tourism and its allied services—it shall be a dollar-earner and a major employer of skilled labor for the country, and a contributor to revenues to help spur development.

It was hard to imagine an E-City rising on 40 hectares of prime reclaimed land by the famous Manila Bay until an economic manager Mr. Efren Ge-nuino dared to dream big and translate it into a workable program of action.

Genuino, chairman of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), surprised everyone with his turnaround of Pagcor and its return to profitability. The firm posted earnings in 2007 more than twice its yearly revenues in 2001, when he took over its reins.

Genuino thoroughly understands his market and its central objective that it must compete for a growing share of the global market. He understands that one cannot rest on past laurels if Pagcor is to become competitive in the global markets. With their menus of world-class fun and entertainment, luxury hotels and convention centers, Macau and Hong Kong are destinations of choice by Asians and global tourists. Also Singapore, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

The Philippines cannot be more than three hours by plane from the farthest of these Southeast Asian destinations, and as short as one hour forty-five minutes from the nearest. Such nearness to the market can be made more attractive if we could develop its own concept of a one-stop Entertainment City that caters to all ages and peoples of different cultures.

Genuino’s thorough understanding of the market was the driving force in conceiving the 10-year project, officially called the Bagong Nayong Pilipino-Manila Bay Entertainment City that could soon become the most famous landmark along Manila Bay.

Genuino’s concept has been buttressed by the emerging factors that define and sustain entertainment centers in major cities. One is that revenue from casinos represent only about one-fourth of their total revenues, meaning that the bulk, about 75 percent, come from non-gaming activities.

He is familiar with Las Vegas in the US, a family-oriented destination and he knew he found a model for his entertainment city. He keeps telling his audiences that gaming is still very much a core of the Las Vegas operation, there is an inevitable shift to entertainment and tourism.”

He argues that the Philippines beats Macao or Singapore in terms of location, the people and the facilities that will comprise the entertainment center. The Philippines has 90 million people, he says and 15 percent of them are considered affluent.

Genuino’s logic has not been lost on the country’s governors who comprise the LPP. In adopting Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone’s resolution endorsing the E-City, the LPP noted its impact on national development. It could triple Pagcor’s annual earnings to 1.5 billion U.S. dollars; it could attract an additional one million tourists to the country; and it could create 450,000 jobs in the tourism sector, plus 150,000 more in the service sectors.

Ground breaking for the project is expected in the first quarter of 2009 and the estimated project cost is between $6 and $8 billion, with no government expenses, all foreign direct investments. Luxury hotels, amusement parks, meeting and convention centers, state-of-the-art theaters, a sports stadium, race tracks, shopping centers, restaurants, a professional golf course, museums, and cultural complexes, residential villages, a waste management facility, a marina and boardwalk and an observation tower are among the facilities to rise. The observation tower, when completed, will be one of the tallest structures in the world.

Not many years ago, Genuino was made an honorary citizen of Las Vegas for his outstanding contribution to the gaming industry. Pagcor earned P17.46 billion in 2001 and P20.21 billion in 2002, making it the year’s most profitable corporation in the Philippines. In 2004, after a slight dip in 2003 because of the SARS scare, it bounced back with a record P21.9 billion in earnings, followed by 23.4 billion in 2005 and P25.38 billion in 2006.

During the first six months of 2007, it posted P13.3 billion of an expected record-breaking year, Genuino’s stewardship of Pagcor has been so successful that Pagcor has emerged one of the top three revenue-raising corporations of government.

At the rate he has turned Pagcor into a success, he could turn to politics and be an achiever as well in economic and social reform. With his vision for an E-City, Genuino has shown he is more than an economic manager but one who could help in policy-making.

I have heard that some people are asking him to run for a political post, at the least for a senatorial post. Why not? I would not be surprised if a man of ideas like him—and with a verifiable executive performance—should proceed to the campaign trail.
source (http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/oct/14/yehey/opinion/20081014opi4.html)

^^ genuino should stay with pagcor until matapos substantially ang project. i'm pretty sure he's going to stay there. :)

^^ agree. He should stay in PAGCOR. He should not consider the dirty world of politics.

^^remain in your position. you are a "genuine" person who doesn't need to break into politics. nakkatulong k ren nmn(super!) sa ganyang paraan..:)

guys, how about Ebay city for a name..hahahaha!

Bay City, Manila. :D

guys, how about Ebay city for a name..hahahaha!

Baka naman ma sue tayo ng EBay for using their name... :lol:
or Baka sabihin for sale youn city sa internet... :lol:

^^remain in your position. you are a "genuine" person who doesn't need to break into politics. nakkatulong k ren nmn(super!) sa ganyang paraan..:)

guys, how about Ebay city for a name..hahahaha!

Bakit, for auction na ba to? :lol:

kasama n ba sa 90 hectares ung gagawin ng SM investment corp.? o sa sariling lupa nila malapit sa MOA gagawin ung mga hotels, museums, saka theaters?

^^ Ang SM, magtatayo ng casino sa bakuran nila. But they integrated with the project para magkaroon sila ng panibagong investment sa SM Bay City. SM also has plans of building an arena to beat the Big Dome. Tsaka underway na rin ang Radisson Hotel sa MOA.

Yung iba pang investors, dun sa lupang binigay ng PAGCOR sila magtatayo.

Las Vegas Coming To Manila (http://www.igamingbusiness.com/article-detail.php?articleID=18846)
17-10-08

In the Philippines, the State-owned Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCor) has announced that it is proceeding with plans to build the $15 billion Entertainment City near Manila.

The site is situated on a 150 hectares of reclaimed land in Manila Bay and could feature up to eight hotels alongside theme parks, shopping malls and other recreational establishments including casinos when complated. It is being touted as the nation’s answer to Macau and Las Vegas but faced several hurdles including fears over a potential rise in levels of prostitution.

'We expect to begin construction of the project by first quarter of next year,” said Rafael ‘Butch’ Francisco, President and Chief Operating Officer for PAGCor, which owns the nation’s 13 casinos.

“The project will then take about five years to complete. We've been trying to assure the Church for the past two years that there is not going to be casinos in every corner of this development.”

The last hurdle was cleared last week when the local government of Paranaque granted the project ecozone status, the final pre-construction requirement providing tax incentives for investors including delays in paying property tax.

Francisco revealed that three companies had already expressed interest in investing in the project, Japan's Aruze Corporation, Alliance Global and the SM Group of Companies, while America’s Steve Wynn and Australia's James Packer have reportedly passed for now.

'This project will result in about 400,000 jobs including the multiplier effect it will have on contractors, cement producers and other establishments to be built around Entertainment City,' said Francisco.

The local government stated that it expects to earn around $10.6 million annually from the project by receiving 25 percent of the take from gambling and five percent on non-gaming revenues, both of which are below the Philippine corporate tax rate of 35 percent.

^^ Tuloy na tuloy na!! :banana: :banana:

$10.6 million only? I hope they're just being conservative, because that value is simply too small.

I hope this becomes successful and maybe Packer and Wynn would rethink their investment opportunities.

ung sa observation wheel na gagawin, di kaya madaling kalawangin yung pods/capsules nun pag laging nasusubmerge?..:ohno: just wonderin..hehe

ive read that they are also planning to build a suspension bridge.where on the reclaimed area ba yun?

Excited na ako!

^^ ÜBER! Me too! :dance:

$10.6 million only? I hope they're just being conservative, because that value is simply too small.

I think it's the Local Government's (host city) expected take from taxes and other revenues. The National Government and of PAGCOR of course would be much more.

^^and dont forget THE CHURCH...:lol:

I think it's the Local Government's (host city) expected take from taxes and other revenues. The National Government and of PAGCOR of course would be much more.

Assuming the $10.6 M figure is indeed 25% (if I read that right), that would mean a total of $42.4 M. This translates to P2 Billion something... Still kinda small in the long run. I hope they find a way to increase the revenue once it is built.

Well, it says 25% gambling revenues, and 5% from non-gaming revenues, so hopefully non-gamblers will spend more in shopping, entertainment, food and hotel. Of course they are projecting a modest take, they are avoiding to set themselves up with high expectations when the hotels aren't even built yet. Taxes are paid after deducting operating expense and other exemptions, so that is still huge, considering 400,000 people are being paid before coming up with that figure.

The government must prepare the access roads to the Reclamation area. A flyover from EDSA and another one in NAIA road crossing Roxas boulevard will be necessary. Also the government also need to improve the traffic situation in EDSA-Taft Avenue intersection which will also lead the Reclamation area. I think its hard to build a flyover in that area since a very big part of the road is already occupied by MRT Taft station which is at grade.

that really going to transform the manila bay area

I cant wait to see Metro Manila after 2 years...wonder how it will change...hmmmm...I want to get suprised....:banana:

I cant wait to see Metro Manila after 2 years...wonder how it will change...hmmmm...I want to get suprised....:banana:

matulog ka ng 2 taon para masurprise ka pag gising mo.

sana by next year pa lang, may BIG CHANGE na!:cheers:

matulog ka ng 2 taon para masurprise ka pag gising mo.

Di na siguro kailangan kasi I'm far away from home :cry: **sniff** **sniff**...Tsaka baka magalit ung amo pag matulog me ng 2 years...

Ciguro kung makaipon me ng konting salapi tapos swertehen at payagan ako ng amo ko makauwi din ako...after 2 years...

that really going to transform the manila bay area

Id hate to be a traffic enforcer in EDSA corner Taft when all these development pushes through. :nuts:

^^ True. I think by next year, 1st Quarter, we would see huge cranes there or strengthening the land. And I think they should all convert highways, boulevards and avenues going to the site in asphalt roads. They should have the guts to advertise not only here in the country but to also potential markets internationally. And that we can have the capacity to accommodate them all in time. Paranaque will truly benefit on this. And they should also consider the workers by having them thoroughly picked and selected so that they can have the finest employees. Considering the scale of this project, they should attract around 5 million tourists by then.

just pray that this won't hit by this ongoing financial crisis

just pray that this won't hit by this ongoing financial crisis

that's another thing to worry about...hope not...

that's another thing to worry about...hope not...

you'll see an improvement in the financial crisis after the US presidential elections this november. hope Obama wins

^^Hopefully...I'm rooting for him too...but for a different reason...:lol:

you'll see an improvement in the financial crisis after the US presidential elections this november. hope Obama wins

wha, excited na ko pag dumadaan ako pauwi galing madocs. haha,. naiimagine ko na,.. hehe

NO WORRIES

Gaming novice Andrew Tan is rolling the dice on two new casino resorts in the Philippines at a risky time.

http://images.forbes.com/media/magazines/global/2008/1027/global_1027_p046_f1.jpg

Source: Forbes Asia Magazine, October 2008 by Suzanne Nam 10.09.08, 5:00 PM

Andrew Tan is a novice at the betting tables. The first time the soft-spoken tycoon ever touched a playing card was in June, when he visited Macau to research casinos. But that hasn't stopped him from making a big bet on gambling in the Philippines, which until now has been controlled by the nation's government.

In April, Tan announced plans to partner with Star Cruises, a unit of Genting, the Malaysian gaming company founded by late billionaire Lim Goh Tong. Together they are investing $1.55 billion to build two megaresorts and casinos, one across from the new terminal at Manila City Airport and one in the city's historic Bay Area. Tan, who ranks No. 4 on FORBES ASIA's list of the Philippines' 40 Richest, is to spend $1 billion more on office buildings and condominiums surrounding the casinos. "If it was just casinos, I wouldn't be interested," he says.

The audacious goal: transform Manila into the Monte Carlo of Asia. "We can do it better than Macau and Singapore," says Tan in a rare interview from his downtown Manila office. "[Those cities] have gambling, but what else do they have? In the Philippines, we'll have world-class casinos, but we also have a beautiful natural landscape and some of the best beaches in the world."

There are significant hurdles. The Philippines, despite its thousands of islands, friendly people and fluency in English, only attracted 3 million tourists last year, compared to Macau's 9 million and Singapore's 7 million. Coups, a reputation for corruption and unreliable infrastructure, including its dreary airport in Manila, haven't helped matters.

The timing is bad. Casino resorts need lots of capital as well as gamblers big and small with money in their pockets, and all of this is in shorter supply in the economic contraction. Nearly all casino stocks have tumbled. Australian billionaire James Packer's Crown Limited decided not to pursue its investment in a proposed Philippines casino. "The recent and ongoing events in world credit markets have made it very difficult for gaming operators to develop commercially viable casino-entertainment projects where those projects require significant external debt funding," stated Crown's chief executive, Rowen Craigie, in July.

Tan's holding company, Alliance Global (AGI), which posted sales and net profits of $593 million and $71 million last year, has lost half its market value in 12 months. It is down more than 40% since the start of September. Tan's net worth has slipped in the past year from $1.1 billion to $700 million. The drop would have been more dramatic had he not sold $200 million of his personal shares as part of a secondary offering by AGI last June.

Tan, 57, isn't worried. He believes the Philippines is in a good financial position and its banks still have the capacity to lend as their loan-to-deposit ratio of 73% is considered low compared to regional neighbors. At least initially there is limited financial risk. In the deal, AGI put up land it already owned and a license it had obtained at no cost, though it had to make certain promises to government regulators. Tan doesn't expect to borrow a dime to fund the first casino resort, estimated to cost $450 million, but will need to tap the teetering credit markets to help fund the second one.

He has survived worse. The 1997 Asian financial crisis almost destroyed his reputation and real estate development firm, Megaworld. A trip to Thailand over the Easter weekend that year sparked rumors that Tan had fled the country due to his company's inability to meet debt obligations. He apparently had to hold a press conference when he returned to denounce the rumors. By January of 1998 his stock was off 95% from its previous year high. A year later the company was almost entirely debt free. Since then he has kept a tighter rein on the balance sheets of his companies and, as a result, AGI has $540 million in cash and Megaworld $211 million. Both companies have announced stock buybacks.

Tan doesn't back down or give up easily. "He is not afraid to compete," says AGI Chief Executive Officer Kingson Sian. "He is an action man. Once he is committed, he focuses on it until it is executed. Remember he came from nothing and went up against much larger companies in several industries."
The son of a Chinese factory worker, Tan moved to the Philippines and put himself through college in part by working as a salesman in a watch store. He often walked to Manila's University of the East because he couldn't afford the bus fare and ate a lot of fried bananas from street vendors. He likes to joke that while other guys were chasing girls, he was chasing the guys for a ride home.

Eager to put those penny-pinching days behind him, Tan started selling kitchen appliances such as coffeemakers and blenders. After eight years he had saved $250,000, which he invested in a distillery. First he tried making gin, then rum. In each case, he competed unsuccessfully against a liquor giant that had been in business for decades. He didn't give up and in 1990 started making a homegrown brandy that he could sell at much cheaper prices than imported brandy. He positioned it as the drink of responsible, successful people; ads mostly featured men in suits. Today Emperador has 63% of the Philippine market, and brandy, once a niche drink, accounts for 40% of all spirits sold in the country.

Using some of his liquor profits, Tan moved into glass-container manufacturing and real estate, another industry dominated by much larger players. He made an even bigger name and fortune for himself in property, by catering to middle-class home buyers and foreign companies. One of his best-known developments is Megaworld's Eastwood City, built just as the outsourcing boom hit the Philippines in the late 1990s. It is now home to 80 multinationals such as Dell, Citibank and IBM. In addition to renting office space for call centers, Megaworld sells residential condos to their employees and, like many mall owners in Asia, shares in the revenues brought in by dozens of restaurants and shops on the premises.

Last year, in an effort to streamline his various interests, which by then included a food business and a 49% stake in the Philippines McDonald's franchise, Tan reorganized them all under AGI, which was already publicly listed. In a secondary offering that temporarily led the Philippines Stock Exchange to suspend the stock's trading while it learned more details of the transaction, Tan sold his brandy business to AGI for $42 million and swapped most of his shares in Megaworld for AGI shares.

The gaming opportunity came about suddenly. Last year, before the stock market started falling, the government-run gaming regulator, Philippine Amusement & Gaming Corp., known as Pagcor, decided to try to grab more of the gaming money sloshing around Asia and invited investors to apply for casino licenses. It already operates 13 casinos as well as VIP rooms and slot-machine arcades. Pagcor brought in $580 million in revenues in 2007, up 18% a year over the past five years.

Tan was intrigued, betting that outsourcing and gaming tourism weren't all that different. Both industries have a cascade effect on the economies of surrounding communities. Both rely on foreign money, adding much-needed cash to a country's economy. He and his company had already built Pagcor's Hyatt Hotel & Casino in Manila and were developing a second one on a portion of 61 acres of land he owned across from the new Terminal 3 at Manila's airport. He had bought the land in 2005 when it wasn't clear if the corruption-riddled terminal would ever open.

Tan applied for a license and eventually negotiated with Pagcor to let him run the casino he was building for it. The government agency is to get a share of the gaming and tax revenues.

In the meantime Star Cruises executives visited potential gaming sites in Manila but decided they needed a Philippine partner and approached Tan. It was a good opportunity for him, in that the company had the gaming expertise he lacked. Its cruise ships have gaming. Its parent, Genting, runs Malaysia's highly successful Genting Highlands Resort and is opening a casino on Singapore's Sentosa Island in 2010. Another reason: the potential to market to Star Cruises' 2 million passengers, the equivalent of two-thirds of current Philippine tourist traffic.

A deal was finalized in August. AGI put 19 acres of land across from the airport and the gaming license, which it had secured two months earlier, into a subsidiary and sold half of that company to Star Cruises for $335 million. Together they are developing the area, called Newport City, into a casino, three hotels, an entertainment complex and 15,000 square feet of retail space. Tan's Megaworld, which owns another 42 acres, is building 4,000 condominiums and ten office buildings around it. The $1 billion cost for Megaworld's portion is to be funded through preselling (70% of condos have been presold) and cash flow.

Construction is continuing around the clock to ensure the venture is first on the draw. The partners expect to open Resort World Casino (the same brand name as Genting is using in Singapore) in 2009. So far only one other player has thrown in its chips, despite the fact that the country has said it will not limit the number of licenses it issues. It is a stark contrast to the frenzied competition back in 2002 for Macau's licenses.

Japan's Aruze, maker of pachinko and slot machines and 22% owner of U.S. gaming giant Wynn Resorts, was awarded a license in August. It plans to invest up to $2.5 billion in a resort casino to open in 2010.
The odds against these kinds of massive projects being funded and actually paying off seem to grow longer each day as world markets swoon. Still, the 2009 opening of Resort World across from the airport is pretty close to a sure thing, already funded and well on its way. What happens next is dicier. Tan and Star have committed, as part of their agreement with Pagcor, to spend $1.1 billion, partly funded by debt, on another gaming resort in historic Manila Bay. The plans are still being drawn up, but it is to have a theme park, museums, stores and hotels in addition to casinos. In that deal, Star is to have a 70% stake, AGI 30%.

One risky aspect of this venture is the expectation that it will be a big draw for foreign tourists, particularly from mainland China. "China is limiting access to Macau for [Chinese] citizens, and Singapore is too expensive and feels too restrictive," says Aruze Executive Officer Mikio Tanji. Chinese tourists are the fastest-growing segment of Philippine visitors but only 157,600 of them visited the country last year, hardly enough to make a dent in tourism spending. The other two key markets, Korea and Japan, accounted for one-third of the Philippines' tourists.

China did recently crack down on its citizens' visits to Macau, dictating that people had to wait three months between trips. China's loss could be the Philippines gain. But Macau is practically a household name. Sentosa, Singapore's gambling center, has done a good job marketing and publicizing its 2010 opening. Most people think of Manila as a beaten-down, messed-up place with terrible food and awful traffic. There are also fears that people will cut down on travel and leisure spending as economic growth slows. Not to mention political risks: A new administration, to be elected in 2010, may not be as friendly to gaming as that of current President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

So AGI and Star have a daunting sales job to do. Yet their marketing plans, which largely rely on reaching travel agents and using Star Cruises' customer base, are modest. The country's tourism authority doesn't appear to have plans to help them in the way Singapore has helped Sentosa.

Undaunted, Tan predicts AGI's profits will double by 2011, due to the gaming and tourism revenues. Adds AGI's chief, Sian: "We really had to sell the Philippines as a center for outsourcing before we could sell the Megaworld project. This is the same thing."

At Tan's first time gambling last summer, he lost all his money at the poker table. Despite the risks, he insists, for his company's bet on Philippines gaming: "The odds are better."

The reason why Andrew Tan is successful is because he is a visionary, when everyone gave up, he rose to the occassion. I know he is making the right decision just needs the support of everyone.

Go Go Go Andrew Tan! :banana:

@swatch69sg: Thanks for posting the article! :okay:

Go Go Go Andrew Tan! :banana:

@swatch69sg: Thanks for posting the article! :okay:

You're welcome...In fact, I bought the magazine first and thought of typing the whole write-up. Good thing, I found the online version of the article so it saved me time from redoing it.

"Monte Carlo of Asia"..wow! I really can't wait for next year and 2010!!

wow., resorts world din ang name dito. :)

Room shortage forces Manila to turn away tourists
CHERYL M. ARCIBAL, GMANews.TV
10/21/2008 | 11:16 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us (Update) MANILA, Philippines - Lack of hotel rooms will force the Philippines to turn away tourists in the medium-term, a senior Tourism official on Tuesday said.

Besides resulting in lost revenues and opportunities, the capacity lack will make it more difficult for the country to meet its 5 million tourist target by 2010, Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab said.

“We cannot meet the target of 5 million foreign visitors by 2010...We don’t have the room for them anymore. We lack the capacity," Palabyab told reporters while at the sidelines of the 34th Philippine Business Conference & Expo at the Manila Hotel.

Although the Philippines has 15,000 rooms for tourists, it needs 20,000 more for 5 million foreign visitors, he said.

“We will need huge investments for this requirement," he said.

One option being explored is to improve the existing “mom and pops’ rooms and accommodations" all over the country. However, these facilities may only be able to supply a fourth of the additional lodging requirements needed by 2010.

Owing to the lodging lack, Palabyab added that the DOT is projecting that by 2010 only about 4.3 million visitors will be accommodated in the Philippines. Bulk of the country’s tourists will come from Korea, Japan, and China.

Last year, the Philippines attracted about 3.1 million tourists leading to tourism receipts of $4.885 billion. For the first six months this year, the Philippines attracted about 1.5 million tourists.

However, the Philippines is seen as among the least competitive countries in the region, placing sixth out of ten nations in terms of attracting tourists.

NO WORRIES

Gaming novice Andrew Tan is rolling the dice on two new casino resorts in the Philippines at a risky time.

Source: Forbes Asia Magazine, October 2008 by Suzanne Nam 10.09.08, 5:00 PM

"China is limiting access to Macau for [Chinese] citizens, and Singapore is too expensive and feels too restrictive," says Aruze Executive Officer Mikio Tanji.
May tama si Mikio San nito.:)

Room shortage forces Manila to turn away tourists
CHERYL M. ARCIBAL, GMANews.TV
10/21/2008 | 11:16 PM

Email this | Email the Editor | Print | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us (Update) MANILA, Philippines - Lack of hotel rooms will force the Philippines to turn away tourists in the medium-term, a senior Tourism official on Tuesday said.

Besides resulting in lost revenues and opportunities, the capacity lack will make it more difficult for the country to meet its 5 million tourist target by 2010, Tourism Undersecretary Oscar Palabyab said.

“We cannot meet the target of 5 million foreign visitors by 2010...We don’t have the room for them anymore. We lack the capacity," Palabyab told reporters while at the sidelines of the 34th Philippine Business Conference & Expo at the Manila Hotel.

Although the Philippines has 15,000 rooms for tourists, it needs 20,000 more for 5 million foreign visitors, he said.

“We will need huge investments for this requirement," he said.

One option being explored is to improve the existing “mom and pops’ rooms and accommodations" all over the country. However, these facilities may only be able to supply a fourth of the additional lodging requirements needed by 2010.

Owing to the lodging lack, Palabyab added that the DOT is projecting that by 2010 only about 4.3 million visitors will be accommodated in the Philippines. Bulk of the country’s tourists will come from Korea, Japan, and China.

Last year, the Philippines attracted about 3.1 million tourists leading to tourism receipts of $4.885 billion. For the first six months this year, the Philippines attracted about 1.5 million tourists.

However, the Philippines is seen as among the least competitive countries in the region, placing sixth out of ten nations in terms of attracting tourists.

why not build underwater hotels?...:lol: ginaya na tlga ang dubai:nuts: or sa gwapotel na lang kaya sila. hahaha!

^^ Yuck! Gwapotel. Err..... Ang cheap ng name! :lol:

Anyways, bakit hindi yayain ng PAGCOR ang mga big players sa development ng Dubai dito sa Pilipinas? Diba?

^^gawa ng mmda yung gwapotel.. di ako :lol:..para yun sa mga laborers sa maynila na malayo pa ang uuwian. parang motel/inn..

anyways, oo nga. WHy not gawa ulet sila ng mga reclaimed areas, para lumaki ung space..hehe

Naku, pag niyaya ng PAGCOR ang mga developers ng Dubai dito sa Pilipinas, ay.....

ÜBER ganda na ng bay area, tapos may man-made beach, ay. Basta!

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/adverg/skybar-1.jpg
Just share only my fast handsketch drawing about my design idea for the multi-levelled (Mezzanine Type) skybar, dining, landscaping, water feature and retail shops within the PAGCOR Tower Observation Deck.

^^galing!....Naiimagine ko na talaga.:banana:

grabe! NUNG nakita ko ung Nakheel Harbour & Tower (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=722506) ng DUBAI na 1 kilometro ang taas, awestruck talaga ako! grabe! Mejo magkahawig yung posisyon nya at ng Pagcor Tower, parehong may harbour sa harap..Sana mainspire ng TODO ang lahat ng nasa likod ng Tourism City! inspire!!

i dont know about this, but i find something stupid with dubai's ambitious projects! one after another. soon, ambitious projects in dubai will be too comon and just be a part of everyone's day to day lives! anyway, manila should have a waterfron recclaimed lot to! it should be shaped like rays of the sun or 1/4 of the sun atarting from the original recclaimed land towards the beach! and anyway~ where are they gonna be putting rhe actual BAGONG NAYONG PILIPINO? :lol: and that skybar will blow us off if it bacame the real thing!

i dont know about this, but i find something stupid with dubai's ambitious projects! one after another. soon, ambitious projects in dubai will be too comon and just be a part of everyone's day to day lives! anyway, manila should have a waterfron recclaimed lot to! it should be shaped like rays of the sun or 1/4 of the sun atarting from the original recclaimed land towards the beach! and anyway~ where are they gonna be putting rhe actual BAGONG NAYONG PILIPINO? :lol: and that skybar will blow us off if it bacame the real thing!

It would "blow us off?" Wow! What can I say? Is it included in the price of admission? LOL Men would be swarming that place then, but how about the Ladies? That thing will BLOW US AWAY when it finally rises then! :banana: :lol:

This are just my idea but I really dont know what is the final design inside the observatory deck, hope they consider my idea, and thanks for the appreciation.

i dont know about this, but i find something stupid with dubai's ambitious projects! one after another. soon, ambitious projects in dubai will be too comon and just be a part of everyone's day to day lives! anyway, manila should have a waterfron recclaimed lot to! it should be shaped like rays of the sun or 1/4 of the sun atarting from the original recclaimed land towards the beach! and anyway~ where are they gonna be putting rhe actual BAGONG NAYONG PILIPINO? :lol: and that skybar will blow us off if it bacame the real thing!

I wouldn't mind being blown-off by that thing. :lol:

^^galing!....Naiimagine ko na talaga.:banana:

grabe! NUNG nakita ko ung Nakheel Harbour & Tower (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=722506) ng DUBAI na 1 kilometro ang taas, awestruck talaga ako! grabe! Mejo magkahawig yung posisyon nya at ng Pagcor Tower, parehong may harbour sa harap..Sana mainspire ng TODO ang lahat ng nasa likod ng Tourism City! inspire!!

Ah. Makagawa nga ng render ng aking own version ng RECLAIMED LAND ART..... Hehehehehe......:lol::lol::lol::lol:

i dont know about this, but i find something stupid with dubai's ambitious projects! one after another. soon, ambitious projects in dubai will be too comon and just be a part of everyone's day to day lives! anyway, manila should have a waterfron recclaimed lot to! it should be shaped like rays of the sun or 1/4 of the sun atarting from the original recclaimed land towards the beach! and anyway~ where are they gonna be putting rhe actual BAGONG NAYONG PILIPINO? :lol: and that skybar will blow us off if it bacame the real thing!

They have the cash and the guts t do it. But as to what you said, they are like, "I want t be the talk of the town." So expect that Dubai will be surprising us with another and another and another until they run out of sand in which they have the power to reclaim their blue gulf and the idea that they were once the star of the show.

Can't they just transfer here sa Manila? Para ito naman ang laging pag-usapan ng pag-usapan ng pag-usapan.......... You know....... :lol: :lol: :lol::jk:

Dubai is rich mainly because of their oil. Maybe they are thinking that this oil supply won't last forever and so building this massive tourism projects could be their source of income in the future when the time comes that their oil had drained out.

Anyway,they could build anything they want. I'm more excited about this Pagcor project.
The plan is very ambitious, wow!

Matagal nang walang langis ang dubai. May vision lang talaga ang namumuno dito, at may b@yag para ma-implement yung mga ideas niya.

Pulos dada kasi sa atin. Tulad na lang ng riles ng tren, di pa makausad-usad.

I hope wag mauwi sa vision na lang itong project na ito. Wala na nang gagastusin ang gobyerno dito e.

gumawa tayo ng kasunduan...di tayo magpapadala ng pinoy workers sa dubai hangga't di sila nagpapadala dito ng mga arkitekto na tutulong satin sa MBTourismCity..:lol::lol::lol:. deh, Kaya naman ng Pinoy ito eh. :banana:

^^ Kaya naman ng Pinoy kung pagdating sa architecture. Kaso, parang hindi out-of-the-box ang nagagawa. So kailangan talaga natin ng foreign architects to help our Filipino architects na gumawa ng concept na Global Philippines, na super duper ÜBER modern pero very very Filipino ang dating at inspired by anything Filipino or resembles the Philippines.

Dubai is rich mainly because of their oil. Maybe they are thinking that this oil supply won't last forever and so building this massive tourism projects could be their source of income in the future when the time comes that their oil had drained out.

Anyway,they could build anything they want. I'm more excited about this Pagcor project.
The plan is very ambitious, wow!

Matagal nang walang langis ang dubai. May vision lang talaga ang namumuno dito, at may b@yag para ma-implement yung mga ideas niya.

Pulos dada kasi sa atin. Tulad na lang ng riles ng tren, di pa makausad-usad.

I hope wag mauwi sa vision na lang itong project na ito. Wala na nang gagastusin ang gobyerno dito e.

O, matagal nang walang langis ang Dubai? Ngayon ko lang nalaman yan.

Sana yung mga katulad nung Hari ng Dubai e yung pag-uugali ng mga Pilipino.

Na feature kagabi sa Rated K ang Dubai. Garbe na talaga! Inggit me sa Dubai!

Wah!

Joke lang to ah: \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ \/

:jk:Tawagan ang lahat ng developers ng New Dubai at dalhin sa Manila Bay upang mag-reclaim ng lupa hanggang sa kadulu-duluhan ng Pilipinas! Itayo ang pinakamataas na building sa buong universe, take note, hindi buong mundo! At mag-reclaim pa ng mag-reclaim hanggang sa tawagin tayong Reclaimed Land Capital of the World! WAH! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :nuts: :nuts: :nuts: :jk:

^^hyper ka ata kuya...:lol:

well, kung puro pataasan sila ng skyscrapers sa dubai, well isabak natin yung gagawing amusement park/s sa MBTC..Kailangan world-class yet out-of-this-world. Ano ba ang mga naiisip nyong rides? Ako isang roller coaster na dinugtong sa ala "Log Jam" ng EK.:lol::lol::nuts:..

sana yung mga rides na ilagay ala six flags... Hehehe...

About the fishermen's protest...puwede bang gawing parang Chincoteague style o maliit na Bay Harbor, Maine ang kanilang area? Parang ganito: http://www.freefoto.com/images/1214/10/1214_10_1---Bucksport--Maine--USA_web.jpg.

Dumaan kasi kami sa parang dulo ng Bay papuntang Tagaytay last April at meron ngang parang salt beds at may hinuhuli nga ang mga fishermen roon. Meron ding mga crane na nakatayo sa may gilid. Hindi naman marumi o pangit tingnan.

maipatayo lang itong bagong nayong pilipino, mabuksan ang naia 3, at matanggal ang mga squatters sa metro manila, malaking pagbabago na. pero mangyayari lang yan, kung magkakaroon tayo ng pinuno na hindi takot gawin ang para sa pag-unlad ng bansa.

^^ Kaya naman ng Pinoy kung pagdating sa architecture. Kaso, parang hindi out-of-the-box ang nagagawa. So kailangan talaga natin ng foreign architects to help our Filipino architects na gumawa ng concept na Global Philippines, na super duper ÜBER modern pero very very Filipino ang dating at inspired by anything Filipino or resembles the Philippines.

nakuu--
kaya naman ng mga pinoy architects ng out-of-the-box na designs, ang problema, restricted sila kasi kulang sa pondo.

^^yun yon eh! pondo! pera!

guys, pasensya na po out of topic ako...

ask lang kung meron na po bang nakapost dito sa thread natin about august 11-18, 2008 issue ng BizNews Asia? nahihirapan kasi ako maghanap kung meron man dito... tulong naman mga bro...

title: THE PHILIPPINES: THE NEXT POWER

please guys kung meron mang may copy sa inyo pa scan please, gustong gusto ko lang talagang mabasa...:)

^^ A! Gusto kong malaman kung anong nilalaman niyang napakatinding balitang iyan.....

Edit:

Wait.... Check out ko ngayon sa NBS sa SM Fairview.......

san pwede makita yung ad nito sa cnn?

ive been closely checking out this project as soon as i heard about it....i assume no renders were still leaked to the media. I never thought Manila had plans to compete with Macau and other asian cities and get a huge chunk of tourists. Over all, i think Manila has a long and unfair treatment from media linking it to Marcos , shanties, corruption , and less impressive infrastructure. I think overall, it has more to offer than its neighboring countries in the long run. Maybe one day, ill be able to see Manila with all these structures already in place.....BTW, its my first time to post here in the Philippine forums :bowtie:

welcome, bryce. enjoy the ride :cheers:

welcome, bryce. enjoy the ride :cheers:

:cheers1:

@BryceDerick,
Thanks for your sounding appreciation, welcome to Philippine Forum.

__________________________
The World is round and rotating...........

ive been closely checking out this project as soon as i heard about it....i assume no renders were still leaked to the media. I never thought Manila had plans to compete with Macau and other asian cities and get a huge chunk of tourists. Over all, i think Manila has a long and unfair treatment from media linking it to Marcos , shanties, corruption , and less impressive infrastructure. I think overall, it has more to offer than its neighboring countries in the long run. Maybe one day, ill be able to see Manila with all these structures already in place.....BTW, its my first time to post here in the Philippine forums :bowtie:

You're right there...if you will compare Metro Manila Skylines to other asian cities...Metro Manila CBDs are well organized and planned...Try to visit Manila and see for yourself the real thing!

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t261/adverg/towerdesign.jpg
Just share again my own version of tower design at Tourism City, Manila, Philiipines. I just made some modifications into the original design. The three round post represent the Luzon Visayas and Mindanao interconnected by ring cable that surrounds the mid core. The mid-core finish with aluminum cladding with diagonal strips inlay. the obsevatory deck comprises also of two levels as compare to original design, but I only differ on the ground structure where mine, the tower is slot-in or within the base structure itself while the original design was outside the main building. Within this base structures comprises with view balcony at the back facing the sea with al fresco dining and retail shops, others with theatrical and convention uses. The shape of the base structure represent like the rays of the sun thus depicting the sun symbol in our national flag. This is just an idea, hope you share yours too..

^^ Looks like the Jakarta Tower, but more elegant.

panget,. haha, joke lang

Well thats how you see it, thanks.......

thanks for the nice welcome....so do you guys have an idea when the official renders would be known to the public? im hoping the design would be considered uniquely related to the country and not a knock off from some other towers already in existence :master:

Well it depends on the officials holding this project, we hope so that the one they published was not the final one, if do so, we can't do anything about it, this forum is for us to share ideas what do we think can help to develop this project into a more unique result.

@Nishikori,
Who are you fucking guy, get out of this forum if you dont want to kick-off. The way you show reflects your own personality. It's fine if you insult my work, this is just a fast sketch and even you cannot draw in few minutes like this. Please visit my website, so you find how is my work. And please never insult my country coz all of you are just jealous on it. What country you came from? Ha.......

^^your design is great adverg. ignore trolls who have nothing better to do or say.

^^ and you think that your own version is more grandeur? was that a render of a pre-schooler? your country is very pathetic... philippines belong in africa not asia as all of you are barbaric and money-whore officials.

i disagree. only the barbaric money-whore officials belong in Africa.
as for you... i don't know if you're love money but you sure are the rest of what you said.

If you can draw like this in 10 minutes with colour, I bow on you fucking guy...

^^ and you think that your own version is more grandeur? was that a render of a pre-schooler? your country is very pathetic... philippines belong in africa not asia as all of you are barbaric and money-whore officials.

Don't make a fool out of yourself, nobody forced you to comment on this forum if you have nothing nice to say, just shut your hole. Is this how you represent your country? all garbage coming out of your thoughts?. I hate to burst your bubble but unfortunately there has been no known cures for ignorance, stupidity. Next time you make a comment make sure you do it face to face, don't hide under your mom's skirt. :guns1:

Thanks crappypants, I am just sharing for the welfare of our development, if they dont like my idea, it's fine, but not to insult me doing a pre-schooler drawing, this guy is so upsetting, i've been 20 years in this line, you insult me so much, well it will bounce back on you. As I've said, the world is round and one day you will bow to Philippines, remember that.

^^ and you think that your own version is more grandeur? was that a render of a pre-schooler? your country is very pathetic... philippines belong in africa not asia as all of you are barbaric and money-whore officials.

you stupid moron, you just created your account just to bash the Philippines.

Then you report it, who start the fire, tell me.......You are not just accusing me, you insult the whole Filipino Forumer and our country.....

Ang kutob ko Pilipino etong kumag at unggoy na tong si nishikori hehehehehehehe

^^ and you think that your own version is more grandeur? was that a render of a pre-schooler? your country is very pathetic... philippines belong in africa not asia as all of you are barbaric and money-whore officials.

such a stupid and non sense comment:nuts:

Never mind him, walang laman siguro yung utak niyang bugog na yan.

huwag ng patulan iyan. lets go back to the topic.

Lets go back to topic, hey guys, is there anyone there who can produce the bird's eye view of the whole complex design if they release it in public already.Base on previous post it seems putol putol yung advertised design proposals, and lately yung sa hotel side, iba na yung design, which one is really the confirmed design. Hope someone can give update on it, thanks. Also the complete master plan of the whole developments, thanks again....

^^ and you think that your own version is more grandeur? was that a render of a pre-schooler? your country is very pathetic... philippines belong in africa not asia as all of you are barbaric and money-whore officials.

So much hate and ignorance in the world wide web...:no:
There goes the "my country is better than your country" again...tsk tsk tsk :doh:


@Nishikori,
It's fine if you insult my work, this is just a fast sketch and even you cannot draw in few minutes like this. Please visit my website, so you find how is my work. And please never insult my country coz all of you are just jealous on it. What country you came from? Ha.......

It was a good rendering ADVERG, considering it was done in a few minutes...:okay:


Moving along, moving along.....