DOJ urges POGO workers to voluntarily downgrade visas, warns of blacklisting

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday called on workers in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to voluntarily downgrade their visas, warning that foreigners whose visas are forcefully canceled will be blacklisted.

Justice spokesperson Mico Clavano said that POGO workers have until October 15, Tuesday to voluntarily downgrade their visas.

“After that, on October 16 onwards, we will start to cancel visas that we still see. ‘Yung pinaka effect po kasi ng pag ca-cancel ng mga [the effect of canceled] visas is a corresponding blacklisting,” he said in a media briefing.

“So kung ayaw po ma-blacklist ng ating mga kaibigang empleyado sa [So those who don't want to be blacklisted and are employed in] POGO, we urge them, encourage them, to simply, voluntarily downgrade their visas,” he added.

He said the guidelines regarding the closure of POGOs were published in newspapers today.

During his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs in the country. He instructed the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to cease all operations of POGOs by the end of the year.

According to Clavano, POGO workers will be considered as tourists once they have downgraded their visas.

“In this case, may time limit po sila [when staying in the country] na hindi naman po pwedeng lumampas doon sa given time period,” he said.

(In this case, they have a time limit when staying in the country that cannot be exceeded beyond the given time period.)

Meanwhile, the Justice spokesperson said that PAGCOR will conduct “service days” for POGOs with 3,000 or more employees.

“Basically, para siyang one-stop shop. Pupunta lang doon ‘yung mga companies that have 3,000 or more employees para po ma process ng mas mabilis,” Clavano said.

(It's essentially a one-stop shop. Companies with 3,000 or more employees can go there to expedite their processing.) — RSJ, GMA Integrated News