STL franchise in Iloilo awarded to new firm

ILOILO CITY — A new firm has bagged the franchise to operate the Small Town Lottery (STL) within the province of Iloilo.
Red Subay Gaming Corp. is now preparing to operate beginning September.
Romel Duron, one of the company’s incorporators who comes from Iloilo, said they received the approval from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) on Aug 20.
“From Aug. 20, we were given 15 days to pay or put up the performance bond equivalent to one month presumptive monthly retail receipts (PMRR) plus 25% authorization pay totaling to P138,736,000,” Mr. Duron said.
The firm’s PMRR is P111 million.
Red Subay, which means red ant in Ilonggo, is a newly-formed company headed by Octavio Antonio Marasigan as chief operating officer and with incorporators from Luzon and Mindanao.
Aside from Messrs. Duron and Marasigan, the other incorporators are Nehru Ampatuan, Noel Virtucko, and Anthony Pe.
PCSO-Iloilo Manager Janette Oberio-Lloyd has confirmed the authority to operate given to Red Subay, saying they received the PCSO board resolution last week.
She said the operation will commence once the firm has settled its bonds and other requirements at the PCSO central office.
Mr. Duron said with a legal STL operator in the province, they are hoping that illegal gambling will be minimized.
“As much as possible, we want to eliminate the illegal gambling because that is the purpose of STL, to counter jueteng and others,” he said.
He also appealed to the Philippine National Police and the local government units to help them combat illegal operations.
The PCSO suspended the operation of former STL franchisee Eagle Crest Gaming and Holding Corp. effective May 10, 2018 as it failed to attain and/or remit its PMRR. — Louine Hope U. Conserva