Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has sworn in a new board at the Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp. (PAGCOR), installing close ally Alejandro H. Tengco as chairman.

Tengco will be taking over from Andrea Domingo, who was appointed as head of PAGCOR by the then incoming President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016.

The leadership of the country’s gaming regulator changes every six years and is appointed by the new president, who is limited to one six-year term under the constitution.

The post of PAGCOR chair is one of the most highly coveted government positions and the body is one of the key revenue generators for the administration.

According to local media reports, Tengco is a business man and a close friend of Marcos. He owns building contractor Nationstar Development Corp and is a former vice mayor of Malolos, Bulacan. He has also acted as a special assistant to Tony Cojuangco, who recently led a management takeover at Okada Manila, one of the country’s largest integrated resorts.

PAGCOR also said it has appointed Atty. Juanito L. Sa?osa, Jr. as president and chief operating officer. Other new board members include Gilbert Cesar C. Remulla, Engr. Francis Democrito C. Concordia and Jose Maria C. Ortega.

Domingo oversaw a period of rapid expansion in the Philippines gaming industry, both land-based and online. Under her leadership PAGCOR began licensing online gaming firms who were offering their services offshore. More recently, to offset the loss of revenue due to Covid-mandated shutdowns, PAGCOR moved to regulate domestic online gambling, being the first country in Asia to do so.

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