Manila—As the ban on Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) approaches, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urges the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to take a proactive approach in canceling the Alien Employment Permits (AEP) of foreign workers employed by POGOs.
In a press release, Gatchalian stated: "POGO entities are transitioning into other entities so they can remain in the country and continue their fraudulent activities."
"We need to take a very proactive approach to cancel these workers' visas and ultimately repatriate them. We need the entire government apparatus to work together to cut off the legal basis for these individuals to stay in the Philippines."
The legal basis for POGO operations in the country will expire at the end of this year, after which the ban will take effect.
The Department of Labor reported that about 15,819 AEPs were issued in 2024 alone, and approximately 36,000 AEPs have been canceled since President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. announced the POGO ban by December 31 of this year in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
The department stated that it is closely coordinating with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to ensure the cancellation of work visas for foreigners holding AEPs related to POGOs and to prevent their illegal stay in the country.
Gatchalian also urged the Department of Labor to strengthen employment promotion programs for workers of Philippine offshore gaming companies to ensure they can be absorbed by the labor market.
"One of our concerns is the unemployment of Filipino workers. Therefore, I urge the department to continue organizing job fairs and other programs for local POGO workers so that unemployed workers can find meaningful employment," he said.
The Philippine Department of Labor stated that about 27,590 Filipinos are employed by online gaming companies.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate Fundraising Committee, has been actively advocating for the expulsion of Philippine online gaming companies for over two years.
