Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to take a proactive approach, canceling the alien employment permits issued to foreign workers in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry.
“POGO entities are morphing into something else so they can remain in the country and continue their scamming activities,” Gatchalian made these remarks during his interpellation on DOLE’s proposed budget for 2025.
“We need a very proactive approach to cancel these permits and ultimately send these workers back to their countries of origin. The entire government machinery must work together to eliminate any legal basis for these individuals to stay in the Philippines,” he emphasized.
The legal basis for POGO operations in the country is set to expire at the end of the year, after which a ban will take effect.
According to DOLE, approximately 15,819 AEPs were issued in 2024 alone. Since the President announced a ban on POGOs in July, around 36,000 AEPs have already been canceled.
The agency mentioned it is working closely with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to ensure that the working visas of foreign workers with POGO-related AEPs are canceled so they cannot remain in the country illegally.
Additionally, Gatchalian urged the labor department to enhance its employment facilitation programs for Filipino POGO workers to ensure that those displaced from the industry can find jobs in the labor market.
“We are concerned about the displacement of Filipino workers. I urge the department to continue organizing job fairs and other programs for local POGO workers to provide them with meaningful employment,” Gatchalian remarked.
DOLE reported that approximately 27,590 Filipinos were employed by POGOs.
As the chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, Gatchalian has been a strong advocate for the expulsion of POGOs from the country for over two years.
