Top officials of the Philippine Charity and
Sweepstakes Office faced the Senate last week to shed light on the so-called
lavish Christmas spending of some P6.3-M out of the P10-M budget at one of the
5-star hotels in Metro Manila. The spending was indeed huge… many say it could
have been used for some more helpful projects for alleviation of the poor
sector needing much productive intervention. Anyhow, PCSO officials and
personnel received their corresponding Christmas bonuses setting aside the
lavish party.
Proceeds from the programs and projects of
the PCSO go for charitable purposes --- health services and medications,
education, assistance to government activities, etc. When people place bets on
lotto and Small Town Lotteries or STL, the gesture is for charity. Betting then
in the game of chance is legal. But there were revelations on the Senate
hearing that the STL is used as fronts for “jueteng” since the process in the
STL is the same with the illegal jueteng… is this so? The winning combinations
in lotto draws are also used in the illegal “last-two” and “last-three” in
areas of operation.
Whether legal or illegal, placing bets on
number combination has become behavioral. In a masteral thesis related to the
“last-two” syndrome of my colleague, findings reveal that there are more loses
than winnings… the poor become poorer because of the bettings in the hope of
winning but ending up losing. And how do the bettors use their winnings?
Blow-out or partying with peers or friends is top on scale but education
expenses for children land the least priority… what a pity. Then the cycle
continues --- losing here and winning at times but more on loses, hence,
betting or gambling is a questionable investment.
The gaming outlets such as lotto and STL
shops employ people but not in millions. Proceeds from PCSO operations go to
charities such as donations of ambulances and fund assistance for health needs
of the poor sector, amongothers, but the bettings on game of chance take a toll
on the poor who pray they could win, dreaming tobe financially secured. Is
putting bets on PCSO-sponsored lotteries an act of charity when they gave birth
to illegal gambling?
Bettors help in raising funds for charitable
purposes but losers end up uncharitable for themselves when betting develops as
addictive. What if there is corruption in the guise of charity? There are only
a few who win in lotteries everyday… are you one of them? For how many years
have you become a bettor and how many winnings have you gained? Yes, PCSO is
for charity… so be it!
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