Asia
Newly-Built PAGCOR-Funded Evacuation Facilities in Cagayan Province Inaugurated
Three municipalities in the province of Cagayan became the latest beneficiaries of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (PAGCOR) Multi-Purpose Evacuation Center (MPEC) project after the state-run gaming agency inaugurated the newly-constructed facilities on March 10 and 11, 2023.
The PAGCOR-funded basketball-court type multi-purpose facilities worth P12.7 million each were formally unveiled in the towns of Amulong, Solana and Penablanca.
In the municipality of Solana, the evacuation facility built in the flood-prone barangay Malalam-Malacabibi was already used as a temporary shelter last October after the gates of Magat Dam were opened to release water following the onslaught of Tropical Storm Paeng.
According to Solana Municipal Mayor Jennalyn Carag, despite being partially completed, the PAGCOR-funded evacuation facility already provided safe refuge to 80 families from low-lying communities in their town.
“When Tropical Storm Paeng hit us, the water level in Magat Dam rose. There are barangays in our town that have been isolated, such as barangay Dasun, Bauan and Malalam-Malacabibi. Even when this evacuation center was just being built, it has already given us a lot of help,” said Carag.
In the town of Penablanca, PAGCOR’s evacuation facility was built in the remote barangay of Minanga, which is almost two hours away from the town center and has no access to telecommunication. The community’s mountainous location and partly unpaved roads make it challenging for the local government to deliver swift aid to locals whenever they are affected by natural disasters.
“In recent years, we have been tested by various calamities like that only widespread flooding here in the province of Cagayan in 2020,” Penablanca Mayor Washington Taguinod said. “This was followed by another widespread flooding in 2021 and, in 2022, we felt the strength of the earthquake that hit the Ilocos region. The establishment of this PAGCOR evacuation center in Minanga barangay became our priority because of its distance from the population. This is a non-telco area, which means it is difficult for residents to seek immediate help when a disaster occurs.”
With the completion of the PAGCOR-funded evacuation center in the far-flung barangay Minanga, Taguinod said that the locals, including the indigenous peoples living at the foot of Sierra Madre, will be assured of a safe shelter as well as a venue where the local government can download relief goods and other basic government services in times of disasters.
Meanwhile, Amulong Municipal Mayor Elpidio Rendon also expressed his gratitude to PAGCOR for giving the vulnerable sectors of their community a secure evacuation shelter during calamities.
“In Amulong, we have identified typhoons, landslides, drought and flood as major hazards. The flood alone affects 17 of the 47 barangays. This situation pushes us to raise the adaptive capabilities of our communities that are exposed to flooding. This evacuation center will be of great help to the vulnerable members of our community, such as the elderly, children and pregnant women, especially during the onslaught of natural disasters,” said Rendon.
PAGCOR’s Vice-President for Corporate Social Responsibility Group, Ramon Stephen Villaflor, who graced the inauguration of the evacuation facilities in Cagayan, explained that instead of constructing a two-story building, the state-run gaming firm provided funding for four basketball-court type multi-purpose facilities in towns that are most vulnerable to flooding.
Besides Amulong, Solana and Penablanca, the town of Iguig also received a basketball-court type evacuation facility. Final inspection of the project in Iguig was already conducted.
Meanwhile, apart from the province of Cagayan, PAGCOR also recently inaugurated two-story multi-purpose evacuation centers worth P50 million each in the towns of Floridablanca and Candaba in Pampanga. Over 200,000 residents from said municipalities stand to benefit from the modern and spacious buildings. To date, a total of 24 MPECs have been completely built and inaugurated nationwide while 53 are still undergoing construction.
UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, and international iGaming brand Parimatch announced a new marketing partnership that establishes Parimatch as UFC’s Official Sportsbook and Betting Partner in Asia.
Parimatch will strategically activate its brand within a selection of UFC events, leveraging UFC’s wide-reaching promotional assets. Highlighted integrations include Parimatch branding in the world-famous Octagon and collaborations with UFC to creatively engage fans through original content that will be distributed via UFC’s popular digital and social channels in Asia that reach more than 17.5 million users.
“Parimatch has been a trusted partner and we are thrilled to extend this collaboration to Asia. Their support is instrumental in our efforts to give local athletes the opportunity to compete in the Road to UFC tournament and ultimately help them realize their dreams of making it to UFC. Together, we are driving the growth of our sport and delivering world-class experiences to fans across the region,” said Kevin Chang, Senior Vice President and Head of Asia for UFC.
“Today we start off a new era in the Parimatch partnership with UFC, built on the same strong values we share in serving UFC fans worldwide and delivering unforgettable moments. We’re excited to be back, ready to create even greater experiences for fans with the opportunities that lie ahead of us,” said Parimatch owner Sergei Portnov.
This new agreement builds upon an earlier relationship between UFC and Parimatch in which Parimatch served as UFC’s Official Sportsbook Partner across several regions worldwide.
Welcoming 2025 in spectacular style, Natural8 India has announced its latest India Exclusive, Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025, to the delight of poker enthusiasts across the country. The multi-table tournament, scheduled to take place on January 19, will offer participants a chance to fight for the massive event prize pool and the glory of winning a prestigious APT Trophy. But that’s not all, for nine finalists will also secure an all-expense paid trip to participate in APT Manila – competing for the grand prize at a grand stage with some of the sharpest poker players in all of Asia!
With a buy-in of only INR 5,500, Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025 will offer flight and stay packages for nine finalists, worth up to INR 100,000 each, for the upcoming APT Manila Classic. In addition, the top four finalists will secure a Main Event ticket worth INR 90,000 each at APT Manila Classic 2025, while the other five will win Mini Main Event tickets worth INR 37,000 each. The tournament also has various satellites running daily from January 12 to January 19, with a buy-in of just INR 550.
Speaking on the upcoming India Exclusive, Kunal Patni, Executive Director and Country Head – Natural8 India, said, “2024 was a spectacular year for Natural8 India and the broader Indian poker community. Throughout the year, we saw a strong response to the various India Exclusives, which not only nurtured the country’s growing poker landscape but also connected poker enthusiasts to the broader Asian poker scene on a more consistent basis. We took 23 players to various APT events in 2024 through these India Exclusive APT events. With the Natural8 India X APT Manila Classic 2025, we expect a similarly stellar response, especially with mega bonus on offer worth up to INR 15 lakh. Our latest India Exclusive will set the tone for the rest of the year and give poker enthusiasts and professional players across the country a chance to start 2025 on a bang!”
1spin4win, a fast-growing online slot provider, has formed a strategic partnership with an iGaming operator, Betandreas. Founded just two years ago, Betandreas has quickly become an influential name in the online gambling industry, providing sports betting and online casino experiences worldwide.
The platform has a growing number of active users and operates in various regions, from South America to Asia, making this collaboration a major step in 1spin4win’s efforts to expand in these markets.
Betandreas’ players can now enjoy the latest and most exciting games from 1spin4win. This includes themed games like Luck’n’Power and Sun Treasure, as well as fruity slots with the popular Hold and Win mechanic, such as Lucky Crown Hold and Win and Cash the Gold Hold and Win.
Tanya Pisarchuk, Sales Manager at 1spin4win, said: “We’re excited to partner with Betandreas and share our high-quality games, featuring robust mathematics and balanced gameplay, with more players in LatAm and Asia. This helps us expand our global presence and connect with new audiences worldwide.”
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