By LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO
“The culture of gambling exists in the country because people are poor,” Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Archbishop Angel Lagdameo of Jaro, Iloilo said in an interview yesterday over the Catholic Church’s Radio Veritas 846.
“It has become part of the Filipino culture, the culture of gambling. It is a sign that Filipinos are poor. That people will resort to all sorts of things such as gambling just to get money,” the CBCP president said.
One example, he said, is the Filipino people’s wanting to join game shows such as those on television.
“Such games are what you call easy-to-get-rich and, therefore, whoever wins the big prize gets this feeling that is easy to earn money. And because he did not work hard for it, the tendency is to spend it unwisely,” said the Jaro prelate.
“The winners need wisdom or proper knowledge so that the money they have won will be put to good use and not go to waste,” he added.
Lagdameo said although helping the public may be one of the reasons for such shows, still it is a form of gambling.
“They might also want to help through this. At the same time, this is also a business for them. Yes, it is a form of entertainment but it is still a form of gambling,” he said.
Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal appealed to producers of game shows, particularly those which feature scantily clad women, to also be sensitive to their audience.
“Respect the religious sensitivity of the audience. There must be a respect for that,” Vidal said.
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