Okada Manila holds ‘preview’ today

MANILA, Philippines – Okada Manila will have its “preview” today as approved by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The preview will provide a glimpse of the 44-hectare property inside the 100-hectare Entertainment City in Parañaque.

Okada Manila’s preview will host a Christmas concert featuring world-class performances from top Filipino artists Lani Misalucha, Regine Velasquez and Bamboo,” Okada Manila said in a statement.

A highlight of the preview event is a “spectacular firework display beautifully enhanced with a laser light show that can be seen as far as Quezon City.

“This spectacle of lights is the first of its kind in Manila and a preview to what guests can expect from one of the newest and most magnificent entertainment complexes in Asia,” Okada Manila said.

The concert will start at 4 p.m. while the property will open to the public at 7 p.m.

Food and beverage are available for purchase but entry into the festival grounds will only be for 18 years old and above while entry into the casino will be for 21 years and above.

 Okada Manila is the third casino resort to open in the Las Vegas-style gaming hub.

Tiger Resort and Leisure and Entertainment Inc. originally planned to open Okada Manila last November but decided to defer it due to worse-than-expected weather conditions.

 The company is the Philippine affiliate of billionaire Kazuo Okada’s Japan-based casino resorts developer Universal Entertainment Corp.

Okada Manila will initially open the first phase which entailed an investment of $2.4 billion.

It is expected to generate as much as 8,000 jobs once fully operational.

Meanwhile, the $35-million Aruze Philippines Manufacturing plant in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, also owned by Okada, currently employs over 800 workers – 99 percent of whom are Filipinos.

The slot machine factory moved to the Philippines from Japan in 2009.

These twin investments of Okada are seen to contribute significantly to the Duterte administration’s target of reducing unemployment to as low as four  percent by 2022.

Lito Garcia, a metal fabrication supervisor and planner at Aruze gaming, said foreign direct investments are creating significant employment opportunities for many Filipinos.

The plant is producing thousands of slot machines for various international markets, including the US, Australia, Macau and South Africa.

Okada Manila is a joint venture between Okada and Filipino businessman Antonio “Tonyboy” Cojuangco.