40,000 Filipino workers to be affected by POGO ban — PAGCOR

Some 40,000 Filipino workers from 43 legal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators would be affected by the government’s ban on POGO, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) said Tuesday.

PAGCOR chairperson and CEO Alejandro Tengco said that some 31,000 direct POGO employees and more than 9,000 workers in special business process outsourcing are likely to be displaced following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive in his third State of the Nation Address on Monday.

“Yung legal po sa ngayon, I’m talking of Filipino workers…Halos po yan, 31,000 yung directly na nagtatrabaho,” said Tengco in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(When we talk about the legal ones, I’m talking of Filipino workers…Almost 31,000 are directly working for POGOs.)

“Meron pong halos 9,800, almost 10,000 sa mga SBPO, yung special class ng BPO. Wala silang kinalaman sa any gaming operation,” he added. “Sila po ay tulad ng mga BPO industry pero ang kanilang mga kliyente ay mga gaming companies sa Amerika, sa Canada, at sa Europa.”

(There are almost 9,800 or almost 10,000 in SBPO, the special class of BPO. They don’t have anything to do with the gaming operation. Just like those in the BPO industry, these people have clients from gaming companies in America, in Canada, and in Europe.)

Tengco said the figure does not include drivers, security guards, messengers and helpers in POGOs.

Marcos pointed out on Monday that POGOs had ventured into illicit activities following the series of raids that led to the discovery of torture chambers, love scams, and other crimes.

Further, PAGCOR said it is expected to lose some P7 billion in revenues once the ban on POGO goes into effect.

PAGCOR said it is now coordinating with the economic managers and with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on what will happen next to the soon-to-be displaced local POGO workers.

“Ang priyoridad natin ngayon ay magkaroon agad ng pagpupulong sa mga kinatawan ng DOLE at sa ating mga economic managers para mapag aralan kung paano mami-mitigate yung mawawalan ng mga trabaho sa pagba-ban natin sa POGO,” said Catalino Alano, Jr. PAGCOR AVP for External Communications, in an interview with Balitanghali.

(Our priority now is to talk with the representatives from DOLE and with our economic managers to look into how we can mitigate the loss of jobs due to the banning of POGOs.)

The DOLE on Tuesday said jobs and livelihood programs will be offered to workers affected by the ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO).

House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said that the House of Representatives will craft and prioritize a bill banning POGO.

In a separate interview, Labor Undersecretary Felipe Egargo Jr. said that the POGO ban will affect around 21,981 POGO workers and 8,911 indirect jobs, such as cooks and household service workers.

“We will be able to give them the necessary employment opportunity. We have tasked our 16 regional officials to do skills mapping so we can provide skilling, re-skilling, up-skilling programs for the displaced workers,” Egargo said.

“For those with entrepreneurial skills, we will give them a livelihood package like a food cart. They can also enlist in the Government Internship Program so they can later be hired as government employees. We have BPO (business process outsourcing) companies looking to hire, too,” he added.

Egargo said that the program for the displaced workers will be implemented on a ''staggered basis.''

“We’ll do it on a staggered basis. It won’t be a one-time, big-time. But we will ensure that they will have jobs,” Egargo added. —Vince Ferreras and Llanesca T. Panti/RF/VBL, GMA Integrated News