The head of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) on Thursday welcomed a new law banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) nationwide, saying the move aligns with the economic zone’s shift to focusing on national defense, clean energy, and sustainable tourism.
APECO president and chief executive Gil Taway IV expressed full support for Republic Act No. 12312, or the Anti-POGO Act of 2025, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently signed into law.
The legislation institutionalizes a nationwide ban on POGOs and, Taway said, reinforces APECO’s reform agenda since he took over management in October 2023.
“We welcome the revocation of the authority previously granted to economic zones, freeport authorities, and investment promotion agencies—including APECO—to issue licenses or permits to POGOs, their content providers, and service providers,” Taway said in a statement.
He said the new law cancels work permits and visas tied to offshore gaming operations, adding that “any visa or work permit issued to persons engaged in such activities is now deemed withdrawn.”
Upon assuming office, Taway’s management conducted an audit of all POGO-related entities, which uncovered one locator operating inside the APECO administration building and using tourism-registered facilities to house foreign workers.
“When President Marcos Jr. announced the nationwide POGO ban during his 2024 State of the Nation Address, APECO promptly phased out the lone POGO locator in the zone,” Taway said.
Although APECO’s charter permits the issuance of investor’s visas to foreign nationals investing at least $150,000 in the Casiguran-based ecozone, Taway suspended all visa issuances in November 2023 for a comprehensive review.
In July 2024, the APECO board approved the cancellation of resident visas following a revised report.
“The process of cleansing and reforming the zone was neither simple nor easy, but it was necessary,” Taway said.
APECO is now focusing its efforts on developing the ecozone as a national defense hub, a clean energy center, the Fishing Capital of the Pacific and the next frontier for sustainable tourism, he said.
