The Shawarma effect and the Philippines’ ‘gaming industry’

The “Shawarma Effect” is a coin termed by Get Real Philippines more than a decade ago to describe the Filipino’s unique preference for imitation rather than innovation. Back in the early 1990s, shawarma, the vaguely Middle Eastern sandwich-like treat, was introduced in the Philippines and became instantly popular, setting off a viral proliferation of shawarma kiosks in every shopping center, transport terminal and other spots with a modicum of pedestrian traffic. Hence the spread of any sort of commercial fad is now known as a “shawarma effect”; we have seen examples of it in recent years in the seemingly instantaneous (and in most cases, short-lived) appearance of stands selling cheap magic trick props, siomai and those weird, tasteless, powder-and-shaved ice concoctions called “scramblers.” If a special report in this paper last week is any indication (PH bets on high-end casinos to become top gaming hub, June 15), we can now add casino resorts to the list of manifestations of the “shawarma effect.”

Most, but not all, of the activity is concentrated in the state-run Bagong Nayong Pilipino Entertainment City in Parañaque City, where Bloomberry Resorts Corp’s. Solaire Manila is the first of four planned casino complexes, including the Belle Grande Manila Bay (Belle Corp.); Manila Bay Resorts (Tiger Resorts Leisure and Entertainment Inc.) and Resorts World Bayshore (Travellers International Hotel Group Inc.). Projections by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor), the Department of Tourism, and industry advocates paint a rosy picture of gambling’s future contribution to the country’s economy. Pagcor is forecasting gambling revenues to reach $2.5 billion in 2013, a 25-percent increase from 2012. Lawrence Ho, the chief executive officer of Macau casino operator Melco Crown Entertainment Ltd., believes that by 2018 the Philippines can reach the level of Singapore or Las Vegas, who have yearly revenues of $5.9 billion and $6.1 billion, respectively. The biggest dreamers behind the Philippines’ gaming industry envision the country challenging Macau—the world’s most successful gaming economy, with annual revenues over $37 billion—within a few decades.