Over 21K foreign POGO workers already downgraded visas — BI

More than 21,000 foreigners employed in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) have downgraded their visas since the pronouncement of the ban on its operations in July, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Tuesday.

Lawyer Pio Rodulfo III, Attorney III from the BI Legal Division, said a total of 21,757 foreign POGO workers downgraded their visas, of which 10,821 have since left the country.

“From the time the pronouncement was made, the total number of foreign nations who filed for the downgrading of their visas is 21,757. Of these individuals, 10,821 have already left the country,” Rodulfo III told House Games and Amusement Committee during a hearing on a proposed bill banning POGO operations in the country.

Earlier, foreign POGO workers were given until October 15, 2024 to downgrade their 9G visas to tourist visas following the ban on POGO operations. Over 12,000 applied for the downgrade last month.

Visa downgrading will allow foreigners to revert their status from work visa to a temporary visitor visa, which will allow them to legally work in the Philippines for a 59-day period.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs last July after several such businesses were implicated in crimes, including human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and money scams.

Early this month, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 74 which states that the ban on POGOs and internet gaming licenses shall encompass illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations.

An interagency has also been formed—composed of BI, the Department of Justice, DOLE, and others—to oversee the closure of POGOs and assist affected workers.

Citing data from PAGCOR and the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Finance earlier found that there were 66,547 POGO employees in the country as of 2023.

The majority of these employees or 41,347 were foreign nationals, while the remaining 25,200 were Filipinos. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News