29 POGOs have resumed operations

POGOS will now be concentrated in hubs, with two already in construction.

Philippines.- José Tria, assistant vice president for offshore gaming licensing at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) told a hearing in the House of Representatives that 29 Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) have resumed operations in the country.

The official said that two hubs are currently being built to house POGOs in Clark and Cavite.

PAGCOR vice-president Vice President Juanito Sanosa Jr. added: “Construction is ongoing so that we can start relocating some of the operators and providers to these POGO hubs soon.”

There will be two more hubs but they have not yet been able to begin work because of the pandemic.

The hubs will be for POGOs that have received the green light of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to operate again.

The localisation of POGOs in hubs was pushed forwards after it was officially recognised that about P20 billion (USD399million) in POGO tax fees was being lost.

Some offshore operators have not been allowed to restart after the lockdown due to unpaid tax.

During the hearing at the House of Representatives, Bonito Singson of the Probinsyano Ako Party said the POGO hubs will allow PAGCOR to concentrate recovering its revenue-raising capability, which was reduced when the pandemic started.