Inbound DepEd chief frowns on gambling as fund source

Incoming Education Secretary Leonor Briones, who is looking for an extra P45 billion for the expansion of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program, has voiced bookings about the next administration’s plan of tapping gambling earnings to bankroll the program.


Briones made understood her position after President-elect Rodrigo Duterte revealed at his triumph party on Saturday that he would allocate funds from the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) to reform the education sector.

I have constantly protested gambling as a source of funding for advancement, Briones stated at a press briefing early today.

The positive side is you raise money for development, however then it’s likewise antidevelopment. You tell your people to be thrifty, to thinking and to budget plan, but you’re likewise informing them to gamble, said Briones.

She pointed out the issue of money laundering, which continues to hound the  gambling market.

Versatile learning program.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd) site, the ALS is a parallel learning system executed by the firm to provide a useful choice to formal education.It has 2 modular and versatile programs, specifically, the standard literacy program and continuing education program, which allows students to study anytime and anywhere.

Briones will assume the helm of the education portfolio two weeks after the country completely presents the K-12 program. DepEd will fully execute

K-12 with the opening of the secondary school program on Monday.

Briones discussed that expanding ALS would be one of the key locations the Duterte administration would concentrate on since there would be learners that DepEd might not accommodate into the formal education setup for that.

We are recognizing that not all children can be accommodated in the K-12 program because even without it, the record is that for 1.2 million students who graduate from Grade 6, maybe only 50 percent will go on to college. We can’t leave them behind, Briones said.

Level playing field

Duterte is worried about the fate of those who would not be covered by K-12, stated Briones. Hence the need to further establish the ALS program, so that the federal government can give level playing fields to the out-of-school youths and grownups who have not gone through formal education, she added.

Price quotes of spending plan guard dog group Social Watch Philippines currently headed by Briones reveal that DepEd needs an additional P45 billion to bankroll the ALS program.

Briones, the nationwide treasurer during the Estrada administration, described that should the Pagcor funding push through, the agency could only provide around P10 billion.

She, however, mentioned that she was already in talks with inbound Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, who guaranteed her of enhanced financing for the department.

Greatest budget

Asked where Diokno would get the funds, Briones assumed that he may reverse some existing programs under the  2016 nationwide budget.

Currently, DepEd has a budget of over P436 billion. However, Briones said that while DepEd had the highest budget among all government firms, it stayed to be significantly underfunded.

International standards require at least 6 percent of GDP to be assigned for education. Present calculations (show that DepEd is) at 3 percent, she said.


Greater Dandenong Council requires $1 pokie limits in lead-up to Federal election

GREATER Dandenong council has called for swag of  gambling reforms ahead of the Federal election.

Council social work director Mark Doubleday said the council wanted political leaders to take the location's horrendous gambling record seriously.

So far this year, gamblers have actually lost $327,000 every day on the areas 958 pokie makers.


Mr. Doubleday prompted political leaders to consider reforms consisting of $1 bet limits on all  pokie machines; EFTPOS devices prohibited in gaming venues; the intro of mandatory recommitment; more money for programs that avoid harms related to problem gambling; and a better mechanism for preparation choices on pokie machines that permits a no deposit bonus input.

Labor prospect for Bruce Julian Hill stated he was deeply worried about the increase in problem gambling.

This is a problem that has impacted family and friends of mine, he stated.

Labor is dedicated to dealing with states and territories to resolve this concern.

It is not an issue that can be solved by one level of government.

Liberal candidate for Isaacs Garry Spencer said, if elected, he would work with state coworkers to ensure procedures are put in place to curb issue gambling with this link.

From a federal perspective, a re-elected Turnbull Liberal Government will implement a National Self Exclusion Register which will cut down issue of gambling online with help from, he stated.

Greens candidate for Bruce Stefanie Bauer stated she supported council's position on the issue.

Issue gambling is an important problem for individuals in the southeast, she stated.

The current circumstance where there are no bet limitations and where cash tornado free coins pokie machines are concentrated in disadvantaged areas are driving the vulnerable into poverty.

A spokesperson for the owner of 3 gaming places in Greater Dandenong Keysborough Hotel, Sandown Park Hotel and Waltzing Matilda Hotel insisted enough controls were currently in place to combat the issue.

Victoria currently is the most heavily regulated state in terms of accountable gambling initiatives, Representative David Curry said.

We as a group have a raft of extra responsible gambling initiatives and put on t feel it is needed for specific councils to overlay added restrictions.


Niles Video Gambling By July? Ways to Apply Comes First

Niles authorities are dealing with an allowing process to issue 16 video gambling licenses in the village after a restriction on video gambling, enacted in 2011, was reversed by trustees last month.The restrictions were laid and properly followed.

The ordinance provides village staffers and members of the Niles Public Safety Committee 30 days from May 24, the date the ordinance enabling video gambling was authorized by , to form the application process. Economic Development Coordinator Ross Klicker said he intends to see application treatments in location by July.

Applications would be accepted on a very first come, first served basis, with some consideration provided to for how long a company has actually been operating in the village. Those applications would be examined by the public safety committee and village alcohol commissioner.

The town will grant 4 kinds of video gambling licenses. Each license holder would be permitted approximately 5 free best odds in casino slot games powered by the  casino software.


The first type of license would be released to 10 routine liquor serving establishments such as bars and restaurants. In the event some license holders do not make the most of the 5 device allocation, the safety committee could think about awarding additional  licenses, so long as those do not total more than 50 machines in overall at bars or restaurants.

The village likewise considered 3 other types of companies, each to be granted two licenses for approximately 5  machines each, bringing the total variety of facilities to 16.

The regulation permits two licenses to be provided to fraternal or military veterans organizations with liquor licenses at their fraternal or veterans halls, such as Niles VFW Post 7712, which have been operating in the town for at least 5 years.

Two extra licenses would be permitted existing companies, beyond those with traditional alcohol licenses which have actually been operating in the village for 5 or more years, to acquire a liquor license and a video gambling permit. To certify, those businesses would need to have seen their companies decline over the previous 3 years.

The final two additional licenses, would be available to new video gaming cafes. Gaming coffee shops are normally small storefronts, serving food and liquor, whose main use is as a gambling establishment. One such establishment, Betty's Bistro lies simply over the Niles border in Morton Grove at Harlem Avenue and Dempster Street.

Video gaming cafes would be required to locate in a retail shopping mall with a job rate of more than 30%. Mayor Andrew Przybylo stated the cafes normally bring in about three times the profits in taxes and fees than other kinds of video gambling, and could serve as an economic stimulus for retail centers in decline.

In all cases, the regulation and state law require the area where gambling  happens to be limited to those 21 years of age or older.

The Niles regulation specifies the location with gambling must be walled off with three regular walls, to separate it from the rest of the business, and one 4th walls no taller than 5 feet. Managers must have an unobstructed view of the area at all times. The gambling area would also have to be under video security with video accessible to police.

Signage advertising that a building provides video gambling would be restricted to a small decal on the facility's door.

Unless renewed by town trustees, the video gambling ordinance would sunset on May 1, 2021.