MANILA, Philippines — The government should look after the welfare of Filipino workers previously legitimately employed by Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said yesterday.
Tolentino emphasized that the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must take the lead in helping these legitimate workers find gainful employment and be protected from discrimination in job fairs and hiring by employers.
“I am reiterating my appeal for the government to help our kababayans who are just rendering legitimate work. These workers must also be protected from discrimination when applying for new jobs,” he said.
The senator asked the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to coordinate with the DOLE for this purpose.
In his regular radio program “Usapang Tol” yesterday, PAOCC Undersecretary Gilbert Cruz told the senator that in the raid the agency conducted on a POGO hub illegally operating near the Senate building in Pasay City last Thursday, a total of 192 foreign nationals and 73 Filipino workers were arrested by government operatives.
Among the Filipinos, 62 had already been released and allowed to go home. Cruz described them as involved in maintenance and housekeeping tasks and were not directly involved in the POGO’s illegal activities, including cryptocurrency and love scams.
The DOLE has announced that it would conduct a job fair this month that would specifically cater to Filipino POGO employees who have lost their jobs.
Downgraded visas
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) has reportedly downgraded around 10,000 visas or about 10 percent of the estimated total number of legitimate foreign POGO workers in the country.
In a statement, the BI said that to date, more than 10,000 POGO workers have already filed for visa downgrading, and the agency expects this number to increase as the deadline approaches.
The BI previously estimated that there are 100,000 legitimate foreign POGO workers in the country and a large number of them are believed to be Chinese nationals.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado reminded foreign POGO workers that they have one week or before Oct. 15 to voluntarily downgrade their work visas to temporary visitor visas to allow them to legally remain in the Philippines for 59 days while winding down their affairs.
The 59-day period from the deadline is in line with Marcos’ directive for foreign POGO workers to leave the country by the end of the year.
“We are expediting the downgrading process to comply with the President’s directive. We encourage POGO workers to file as early as possible to avoid complications,” Viado said.
During a meeting of the BI and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) with representatives of POGO companies on Sept. 30, it was raised that the BI might process the downgrading of the visa status and issue exit clearances on-site.
The DOLE might also be present to accept surrendered Alien Employment Permits from POGO workers.
As part of the government’s initiative to wind down POGO operations, an inter-agency task force composed of the BI, DOLE, PAGCOR, Department of Justice and other key agencies has been formed to oversee the closure of POGOs and assist affected workers.
The BI said procedures have been simplified to ensure compliance.
Those who fail to meet the downgrading deadline or leave the country by Dec. 31 will be deported and blacklisted. — Evelyn Macairan