A plan by Philippine gaming regulator PAGCOR to “decouple” from its self-operated casinos and become a pure regulator is expected to be ratified in August and executed by way of an Executive Order towards the end of the year, according to comments from its Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco to local media.
IAG understands this Executive Order could be issued by mid-September based on information from sources.
As reported by the Philippine Star, Tengco expects the Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) to submit its recommendation around whether to proceed with decoupling to the Office of the President in August.
“The Office of the President will study that so it will be at the end of this year. It will be done through an Executive Order,” Tengco said.
The outlet also cited comments from Marius Corpus, chairperson of the GCG, suggesting its recommendation would be released during this current quarter and once the required processes are complete.
PAGCOR has under Tengco sought to privatize its Casino Filipino brand – which operates more than 40 venues nationwide – amid criticism of the agency’s dual role as a regulator and an operator. The chairman has previously stated that his goal is to complete privatization by the end of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s term in 2028.
In the meantime, Tengco said he expects to see an improved performance from the gaming sector in the second half of 2026 but acknowledged the challenging environment operators are currently facing.
“There are no tourists. There are no VIP players because of the war,” he said. “The online gaming sector was hit because users [lower income brackets] are the groups most affected by the Middle East crisis.”
The regulator has not yet released results for the June 2026 quarter.
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