Special job fair set for POGO workers

MANILA, Philippines — A special job fair is all set for almost 20,000 Filipino workers to be displaced with the closure of all Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) firms by yearend, according to the Department of Labor and Employment.

DOLE-National Capital Region assistant regional director Jude Trayvilla said the special job fair will be held at the Ayala Mall Manila Bay in Parañaque.

Trayvilla noted that DOLE-NCR is currently profiling the Filipinos employed in POGO firms operating in the region.

“As of Sept. 16, there are 48 internet gaming licensees (IGLs) that have submitted lists of employees that will be affected by their closure. In the said list, there are 19,341 Filipino employees,” Trayvilla said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum yesterday.

According to Trayvilla, the POGO employees are receiving between P16,000 to P22,000 monthly salaries.

Most of the Filipinos perform administrative tasks and encoding. Some are employed in the finance, information technology, and housekeeping departments.

“Almost all of the companies that are affected have submitted a list. As of now, we have mapped where these affected employees are,” he added.

Aside from the job facilitation, Trayvilla said the DOLE-NCR is also extending emergency employment assistance under the TUPAD and livelihood programs for the POGO workers.

DOLE-NCR assistant regional director Olivia Samson said 70 employers are participating in the special job fair.

“The number will increase because our job fair may take a while,” she disclosed.

Samson said more job fairs for the affected POGO workers are expected to follow after Oct. 10. She said even those not from Parañaque can join the job fair on Oct. 10.

Meanwhile, Samson added that the DOLE-NCR is also assisting hundreds of workers affected by the closure of Sofitel Philippine Plaza last July.

Samson said they are now processing 100 out of more than 300 applications for livelihood grants they received from Sofitel workers.

“For now, we are just waiting for the documentary requirements then we can award the livelihood grant to displaced Sofitel workers,” Samson said.

For his part, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the assistance being prepared by the government is primarily focused for workers employed in internet gaming licensees (IGL).

“What we are focusing now are workers that are legally at work. These are the IGLs,” Laguesma said in a radio interview, noting that the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. has rebranded the former POGOs as IGLs.