In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Philippine casino operators Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. revealed that they are resuming operations at the Resorts World Manila (RWM) with a major make-over of the gaming facilities, as reported by CalvinAyre.

According to the operators, the gaming areas at RWM will now be located only on the third and first floor of the casino, while the second floor that was set on fire during last month’s shootings will be re-purposed for other non-gaming activities.

The changes were made to meet the new emergency and security requirements set by the regulatory agency PAGCOR, so that the casino’s June 9th license suspension could be lifted.  Prior to receiving approval from PAGCOR to resume operations, the operators had to fortify the security and safety protocols at the gaming facility, which were subject to careful examination by the industry regulators.

In a separate statement last Thursday, PAGCOR revealed that the improvements made to the casino included the hiring of a new security agency and experts, doubling the number of armed guards, as well as increasing the number of metal detectors and x-ray scanners in the building, among other things. Apart from compliance to new standards, the regulatory agency revealed that they also had to take the casino’s 6,000 employees into consideration when making the decision, as their livelihood was likewise affected by the suspension.

“With PAGCOR’s assistance and guidance, we can now start the difficult task of rebuilding as it is also our responsibility to take care of our 6,000 staff and personnel,” Kingson Sian, CEO and President of RWM said on Thursday. He also commented that the resort remains dedicated to using the best safety and security measures available and will continuously review for upgrades as required by new technology and developments.