No more POGO new hires starting July 31 — PAGCOR

Beginning July 31, 2024, new hires in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) will no longer be allowed according to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

This development was reported by Saleema Refran on Tuesday's Saksi as a result of an order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that POGO operations will cease by the end of the year.

“Ang pinagkakaloob ng PAGCOR na lisensya ay isang pribilehiyo. At ang pribilehiyo na ito eh ano man oras, maaring bawiin ng PAGCOR,” said PAGCOR chairman Alejandro Tengco.

(The license granted by PAGCOR is a privilege. And that privilege can be withdrawn at any time.)

PAGCOR said it will have a meeting with POGO companies next week.

Some 40,000 Filipino workers from 43 legal POGOS will be affected by the nationwide POGO ban.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it has talked to business process outsourcing and information technology companies to help the affected workers.

“Kasi marami sa kanila encoder. Kung meron kakulangan ang kanilang skills, yung kasanayan nila, sasamahan namin ng training, upskilling, [o] retraining,” Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said.

(Most of them are encoders. If they lack skills, we will help them with their training, upskilling, or retraining.)

DOLE earlier said it is profiling the affected POGO workers to determine the jobs that match them and the training they need for better opportunities. —Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA Integrated News