Following a weeklong proliferation of gambling advertisements in the city, the church and advocates have sounded the alarm.
The Baguio City Ecumenical Council (BCEC) said in a petition -statement said that gambling advertising placements across the city have become alarming. “We are especially alarmed by the aggressive proliferation of gambling advertisements in public and digital spaces. These promotions glamorize instant wealth, target vulnerable sectors including the youth and economically struggling families, and erode the culture of honest labor and perseverance that our city upholds,” stated Rev. Genesis Mark Langbao of the BCEC.
A signature campaign for the “Petition for the Prohibition of All Forms of Gambling and Gambling Advertisements in Baguio City” is currently being conducted throughout the city via BCEC member churches. The petition will be submitted to the Baguio City Council next month in the hopes that enough signatures will compel aldermen to ban gambling advertisements.
Langbao added, “Allowing such advertisements contradicts our commitment to character formation and responsible citizenship.”
During the 30th edition of the Baguio Flower Festival, a float from Game Zone, a gaming company, was included in the parade lineup. Meanwhile, on Session Road in Bloom from March 1 to 8, 2026, E-Bingo Plus conducted marketing and advertising, featuring a large setup at SM City Baguio where booths were established for the public to partake in games.
Beng Garcia, a staunch social justice advocate, said in a separate statement: “It’s unprincipled to have online gambling as one of the sponsors of Panagbenga 2026, with a float and a prominent stall along Session Road to boot. I believe it goes against the whole rationale of why we have Panagbenga in the first place. To encourage such a destructive entity to be part of an honored festival in Baguio sends the wrong signals to our youth and dishonors the families—especially our farmers—whose lives have been destroyed by gambling, online or not.”
Garcia added, “I’m aghast that no one on the BFFFI [Baguio Flower Festival Foundation, Inc.] thought to protest their inclusion. With all the work our civic, social, and religious groups have put in to fight so hard against casinos, this is a monumental slap in the face for everyone who is trying to build what we call our Character City.”
Lawyer Francis Camtugan openly tagged the perceived support of the city and the Baguio Flower Festival Incorporated toward online gambling on social media as a “fraud of Baguio City’s good governance.”
Camtugan alleged that Panagbenga 2026 exposed deep-seated corruption, citing the invitation of gambling operators to a community festival to “normalize vice and poison the minds of children.”
“We should stop having the illusion that Baguio is under ‘Good Governance.’ How can there be good governance if legal and illegal casinos and gambling dens dot the city? Even more outrageous are the advertisements (billboards, floats, and booths) in plain view of our children. Baguio is the gambling capital north of Clark.”
The lawyer added: “Gambling dens and casinos attract the jackals—dark financiers, thieves, carjackers, robbers, and even drug dealers. A rise in crime will definitely burden the prosecution service, local police, and our court system. There is nothing ‘Good Governance’ in Baguio City.”
Over the years, E-Bingo gaming outlets have been allowed to operate in key areas in the city, situated in malls and commercial spaces.
Meanwhile, the Dap-ayan ti Kultura iti Kordilyera (DKK), a cultural group, echoed these sentiments, saying: “During the Grand Float Parade on March 1, a float of online gambling platforms became a prominent highlight. This sends a troubling message that Baguio City appears to promote online gambling despite its known risks of addiction, financial debt, and socio-psychological distress.”
In the petition, the BCEC is asking the Baguio City Council to enact or strengthen ordinances prohibiting all forms of gambling operations within Baguio City.
Included in the request is the prohibition of all gambling-related advertisements, promotional materials, sponsorships, and public displays within the city. They also seek a comprehensive review of existing gambling-related permits and establishments with the goal of phasing out such operations.
The BCEC is also asking for amendments to Ordinance Number 481, Series of 1968, or “An Ordinance Imposing Stiffer Penalty on Gambling and for Other Purposes,” and the promotion of alternative, sustainable economic initiatives that align with Baguio’s identity as a Character City and with Cordilleran values of stewardship, community solidarity, and responsible livelihood. Maria Elena Catajan