December 12, 2023

CIBAC Party-List Representative Bro. Eddie Villanueva welcomes the House approval on 3rd and final reading of House Bill 8841 which establishes the Bulacan airport economic zone but opposes the establishment of any gambling or gaming-related business within the covered area.

Congress adopted an amendment proposed by CIBAC Rep. Bro. Eddie which prohibits the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (BACSEZFA), the body corporate which shall manage and operate the ecozone of the biggest airport in the country, to approve and register any activity “that supports gaming or gambling, even if the same is regulated or licensed or allowed by Philippine laws.”

“The moral ills and damaging effects of gambling are so empirically pronounced and cannot be denied. Gambling brings indebtedness, money laundering, prostitution, proliferation of drugs and crimes, reduced familial stability, marriage break-ups, and to name a few. The approval of the amended bill is a positive step to pursuing holistic and genuine development minus moral setbacks. We aim to that through the Bulacan ecozone model, we might be able to show the world that genuine progress and affluence can be achieved through obedience to God’s Word and not by succumbing to the get-rich-quick formula of the world,” says CIBAC Rep. Bro. Eddie who is a native of Bocaue, Bulacan and also co-author of HB 8841.  “I thank my colleagues for approving our proposed amendment to oppose gambling businesses in the Bulacan ecozone. It is worth noting that this not only mirrors the will of this Representation and of the concerned sectors in Bulacan but also of the franchise-recipient of airport construction in the province. This is a big win for all Bulakenyos,” ends the CIBAC solon.