The grant will be used to upgrade facilities and training resources for future law enforcement officers.
The Philippines.- The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has pledged PHP300m (US$5.2m) to the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) to improve facilities and provide new training resources for cadets. The announcement was made by PAGCOR’s chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco during the 45th PNPA Alumni Homecoming celebration at Camp Gen. Mariano Castañeda in Silang.
PAGCOR will fund the construction of a building for the PNPA Alumni Association, which will serve as an office and a dormitory for visiting alumni. The regulator and casino operator will also pay for upgrades to the PNPA’s Crime Scene Plaza, which will be used for training in forensic and investigative procedures, and will finance the purchase of firearms training simulators to help cadets improve shooting skills.
PAGCOR will also assist the police academy in acquiring crime mapping and predictive policing software. Next week, it will deliver a patient transport vehicle equipped with GPS, an ambulance stretcher, medical oxygen, a wheelchair and a first aid kit. PAGCOR’s chairman also turned over a check worth PHP2.2m to the PNPA Alumni Association Inc. (PNPAAAI) for the purchase of a new service vehicle and 100 tablets.
Tengco said: “While PAGCOR’s primary role is to regulate the gaming industry, we also have a responsibility to support institutions like the PNPA and the national police. The law enforcement community has always been our top priority.”
He added: “Technology is now a crucial aspect of law enforcement, and our cadets must have access to modern facilities and training innovations that will allow them to combat crime more effectively.”
Tengco said licensed casino foundations had contributed nearly PHP700m to PNP-related projects since 2017.
“Newport World Resorts Foundation alone has provided almost PHP600m, including a PHP500m grant for the ongoing construction of a 100-bed PNP NCRPO Medical Center in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig,” he said.
Other major contributions include Bloomberry Cultural Foundation’s PHP40m donation, which included eight patrol vehicles for the PNP Southern Police District; Melco Resorts Philippines Foundation’s PHP21m donation and the Okada Foundation’s PHP50m grant.
