More than 22,000 workers will lose their jobs once the government implements a total ban on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) in the country, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma made the remarks amid ongoing calls for the government to ban POGOs due to reports of illegal activities being committed by Chinese nationals working onsite.
In a television interview, Laguesma said that this early, the department is taking steps on how to provide for the affected workers if the closure of the POGO companies pushes through.
The labor chief said around 50 legitimate POGOs are operating in the country where more than 22,000 Filipinos are currently hired. At least 8,000 foreigners, mostly Vietnamese, are also working legally in the online gaming industry.
“We have a big challenge or problem to face if the operations of legitimate POGO firms will be closed, because it will affect the employment of some workers,” Laguesma said.
According to the DOLE, from January to April 2024, it issued around 8,000 alien employment permits (AEP) to foreign workers employed in licensed internet gaming firms in the country.
Laguesma said that most of these foreign applicants were Vietnamese, followed by Chinese. There were also Indonesian, Thai, and other nationalities who sought permission to work in the online gaming industry in the Philippines.
More than 300,000 AEPs were issued to foreign workers from 2019 to 2023, of which, around 70,000 were cancelled for violations.
