Philippine DOJ sets deadline for foreign offshore gaming workers to voluntarily repatriate
Foreign offshore gaming workers’ visas will be downgraded to tourist visas.
The Philippines.- The Department of Justice (DOJ) has said that foreign workers employed by offshore gaming operators have until October 15 to voluntarily return to their home countries. The POGO Closure Task Force has decided that from October 16, the visas of foreign offshore gaming workers will be changed to tourist visas. They will be required to leave the Philippines within 60 days or face involuntary repatriation.
The Task Force includes the DOJ, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and the Bureau of Immigration (BI). It aims to establish guidelines for the prohibition of offshore gaming operations by the end of the year as directed by president Marcos Jr.
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The DOJ has reported that the Philippines’ 41 licenced internet gaming licensees (IGLs), previously known as Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), have indicated their intention to comply with the ban and halt operations before the end of the year. However, PAGCOR’s chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco has cautioned that operators may attempt to employ deceptive tactics to conceal illegal business after the ban comes into force.
In related news, the DOLE has announced a job fair for workers who have been displaced from offshore gaming operators. DOLE-National Capital Region assistant director Jude Thomas Trayvilla said the job fair will take place in Parañaque City on October 10. He said over 19,000 employees in roles such as administration, encoding, human resources, liaison, finance and information technology will be affected by the closure of the companies.
