Pagcor stops release
of funds to Pag-ugyon
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has discontinued its remittance of the PAGCOR fund share of the Negros Occidental provincial government to the non-government organization, Pag-Ugyon Negros Foundation, in compliance with a new directive from the Commission on Audit.

Cristino Naguiat Jr., PAGCOR chairman and chief executive officer, informed the   Sangguniang Panlalawigan members of this in a letter, in response to their request for the release of a portion of the income share of the Negros Occidental provincial government as host to its casinos, directly to Pag-ugyon Negros Foundation.

The COA, in a memorandum dated Aug. 22, 2011, directed that all host areas’ income shares be remitted to the city or provincial treasurers’ offices for proper control and monitoring, he said.

The Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan is expected to tackle today the request of Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr.  for the passage of a resolution authorizing him to enter into a P450 million loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines for the construction of the Negros First Cyber Center building at the Paglaum Sports Complex in Bacolod City.

The amount will also cover the development of the site and parking space, he said.

The governor, in a first endorsement dated September  30, had asked the SP  to grant him authority to sign, for and behalf of the province, the loan agreement, deed of assignment, promissory note and other documents pertaining to the loan.

Public school teachers in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental will join a nationally coordinated march rally today to call for a bigger education budget to address the current shortage in the requirements for quality and relevant education.

The teachers who are affiliated with the Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Negros and the Bacolod City Public School Teachers Federation and other allied organizations, will march from the Rizal Elementary School to the Fountain of Justice in front of the Old City Hall at 5 p.m. where they will hold a program in celebration of World Teacher’s Day.

ACT-Negros chairman Gualberto Dajao yesterday said their demand is not unreasonable considering that in the proposed 2012 National Budget that was passed on second reading in Congress, debt servicing even had a bigger budget than that for education, which is in violation of Article V of the Constitution which provides that the State should give priority to education.