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EO on winding down of POGOs expected this month

Article (news)

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><span dir="ltr" id="isPasted"></span></div><p>MANILA — The Executive Order (EO) that will detail how Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will wind down operations by the end of the year is expected to be released within the month, according to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Alejandro Tengco.</p><p>Despite the absence of the EO, Tengco said some POGOs are already in the process of closing down.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/9/4/sec-revokes-registration-of-lucky-south-99-for-involvement-in-illegal-pogo-operations-1752">SEC revokes registration of Lucky South 99 for involvement in illegal POGO operations</a></div><p>“Meron pong iba talagang nag-uumpisa na at sumulat na sa amin na pinapa-cancel permits,” Tengco said during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement on Wednesday.</p><p>PAGCOR said foreign POGO workers will leave by batch. POGOs have until December 31 to end operations.</p><p>“Merong matitira siguro after January 1 yun lang mga accounting department, yung mga logisitics department. Pero total gaming operations zero na by January 1,” Tengco assured.</p><p>(Some staff might be retained after January 1, like those in the accounting  and logistics departments, but zero gaming operations after January 1)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/regions/2024/9/4/168-pogo-workers-mula-cebu-dinala-sa-maynila-1840">168 POGO workers mula Cebu dinala sa Maynila</a></div><p>The Bureau of Immigration (BI) had earlier said they are giving foreign POGO workers until October 15 to voluntarily downgrade their working visas to tourist visas. The cancellation of the said visas will be in effect come October 16.</p><p>According to PAGCOR, in order to make the process more efficient, BI will deploy mobile teams to POGOs which have 3,000 and more workers to facilitate their visas.</p><p>There are 28,462 Filipinos who work in POGOs, while foreign nationals number 28,421, according to Tengco.</p>

<p>The Executive Order (EO) that will detail how Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will wind down by the end of the year is expected to be released within the month, according to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Alejandro Tengco.</p>

The Executive Order (EO) that will detail how Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will wind down by the end of the year is expected to be released within the month, according to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) Chairman Alejandro Tengco.