PAGCOR Appoints First Woman President and CCO in History

The 100% government-owned and controlled corporation under the Office of the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), has announced the appointment of a new president.

Attorney Wilma Eisma has received the prestigious position, along with the title of chief operating officer (COO) after taking the oath of office. 

The First Woman President & COO in PAGCOR’s History 

As a result of her appointment, Eisma has become the first woman in the agency’s history to assume both positions.

Similarly, Eisma was also the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority’s first woman administrator and chairman. 

Eisma, who has a law degree from the Ateneo de Manila University, was a member of the Development Bank of the Philippines’ Board of Directors prior to being hired by the regulator. 

Before that, she worked in various positions at the Office of the Secretary and the Office of the Majority Leader in the House of Representatives as part of the Department of Trade and Industry.

In the private sector, she took on leadership roles in PMFTC Incorporated, which is Philip Morris International’s affiliate in the Philippines.

Eisma will succeed attorney Juanito Sanosa Jr., the regulator’s previous president and COO who resigned from the position in January 2024. 

PAGCOR, “Happy to Welcome Atty”

PAGCOR’s chairman, Alejandro Tengco, expressed the corporation’s thrill “to welcome Atty” while expressing confidence in her power to become “a great asset” for them. 

Tengco also took the opportunity to praise Eisma’s “vast experience in both the government and private sectors” that is expected to “be put to good use.”

In mid-March, Tengco said that the Philippines is expected to overtake Singapore and turn into Asia’s second-largest destination for gambling tourism, following Macau. 

In February, the PAGCOR announced it shut down an illegal gambling operation in Parañaque City and arrested 12 individuals for their alleged involvement in the illegal activities discovered there at the targeted location.

Using the voice of PAGCOR’s senior vice president for security and monitoring cluster, Raul Villanueva, the regulator explained the crackdown operation belonged to the authorities’ efforts to eliminate illegal gambling in the country.

Villanueva further reiterated their determination to continue working together with the Philippine National Police and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency to reach the same goal. 

In other news on the continent, the Indonesian Minister of Communication and Information,  Budi Arie Setiadi, announced their plans for an integrated task force that would tackle illegal online gambling.