Workers ask government to reject calls for POGO ban

Filipino POGO workers say many jobs would be lost if the government decides to ban the operators.

The Philippines.- Michael Danganan, a spokesman for the Association of Service Providers and POGOs (ASPAP), has warned that more than 23,000 Filipinos could lose their jobs if the government finally bans POGOs. His comments come as a Senate committee studies the economic impact of a potential ban on POGOs.

ASPAP members include16 PAGCOR-licenced POGOs and 68 service providers together employing 23,118 Filipinos – 11,776 directly and 11,342 indirectly. By comparison, ASPAP members employ just 17,130 foreign workers.

ASPAP’s Filipino workers include team leaders or supervisors, administrative assistants, sport-book handlers, kitchen staff, security officers, finance assistants, accounting assistants, and 60 other jobs. ASPAP is concerned about illegal activities linked to POGOs but asked authorities not to blame the entire sector.

The association has asked President Marcos and senators not to see the sector as an enemy, but as an ally to rebuild a country that’s been hit hard by Covid-19. ASPAP representative Paul Bongco said industry data showed that in the last six years, POGOs contributed more than PHP61bn to the government in taxes and fees paid to PAGCOR and the Internal Revenue Office, among others.

Leechiu Property Consultants CEO David Leechiu has warned that a proposal to ban online gaming in the Philippines, including POGOs and PIGOs (offshore and domestic betting and wagering), could seriously hurt the economy. He told The Inquirer a ban could cost the Philippines PHP200bn (US$3.39m) a year in office and residential rentals, income tax, electricity bills, wages and regulatory revenues.

Leechiu also said the government would also lose an estimated PHP5.8bn in government taxes, while the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) would lose PHP5.25bn in revenue. In addition, 347,000 workers could lose their jobs if the remaining POGOs close.

3,198 POGO workers apply for police clearance to continue working

As previously reported by Focus Gaming News, 3,198 workers linked to the industry have applied to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for authorisation to continue working. The requests were made days after it was revealed that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) had revoked the licences of 175 POGOs.

According to the Philippine News Agency, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said: “As of Sept. 27 and 28, an additional 297 POGO workers availed the national police clearance processed by DIDM (Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management) team, making a total of 3,198 police clearances issued to POGO workers as of Oct. 3.”

To streamline procedures, authorities are developing a documentation mechanism for POGO workers. The objective is to establish a registration and monitoring system to ensure they comply with regulations and government requirements