SOME 30,000 foreign workers employed in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are set for deportation in light of the ban online gaming scheme, according to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PAOCC).
PAOCC spokesman Winston Casio said at least 27 Chinese nationals have been sent back to China in line with the total ban on POGOs as directed by President Marcos.
PAOCC said 37 Chinese should have been shipped out, but six were withheld due to existing hold departure orders (HDOs) against them in certain countries.
A total of 1,698 POGO foreign workers have been deported since May 4, 2023.
“So far, the list we got from PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.) for legal workers, there are roughly 30,000. We’re expecting that all foreign nationals that are working in legal POGOs will eventually be repatriated,” Casio said during a public briefing.
“The challenge that we would face is about the illegal workers. With assistance from PAOCC and other government agencies, we are very confident we will be able to deport if not all, at least a good number of them,” Casio added.
He also said foreign nationals who are working under illegal POGO firms will be placed under the immigration blacklist and will not be permanently banned from entering the Philippines.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his third State of the Nation Address, ordered a ban on all POGOs in the country. The directive stemmed from a series of raids against illegal POGOs, resulting in the seizure of instruments used for torture, love scams, and other crimes.
The Bureau of Immigration said earlier that foreign POGO workers will be given at least 60 days to leave the Philippines.
