Poe: Account for over 40K POGO workers facing visa cancellation

Sen. Grace Poe asked authorities to account for the over 40,000 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) workers who will soon lose their visa to ensure they comply with the regulations in leaving the country.

"May naiulat na around 40,000 will now be deported. Nasaan ang 40,000, alam ba ninyo kung nasaan sila?" Poe asked the Philippine National Police and the Bureau of Immigration on Monday's Senate hearing on the POGO operations in the country.

Immigration deputy commissioner Fortunato Manahan Jr. replied that the 48,782 foreign employees of POGOs facing visa cancellation were based on "assumptions" of the number of workers per company whose license to operate has been revoked by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

The statement alarmed Poe who warned that the announcement could send the workers into hiding.

"You're just making a calculation, but you don't actually know where those individuals are at this point? Magdedeport tayo ng ganito karaming individuals but hindi natin actually alam kung nasaan sila, at masasabi ko rin, marami na sa kanila ang magtatago na," she said.

Poe earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 229 to assess the POGOs in the country in the light of the spate of criminal activities related to their operations.

"Despite what we have been made to believe, the POGO industry is not an essential sector of the Philippine economy. Based on the latest Department of Finance data, the POGO sector, on average, only accounts for 0.03 percent of our Gross Domestic Product. It is true that they contribute to the coffers but it comes at significant social costs, which in turn pose a reputational risk that can affect our business and investment climate," Poe said.

Poe pointed out that POGOs hire only one Filipino for every four employees. As to the companies' impact on real estate, she said the sector has remained resilient despite the pandemic and is seen to thrive with rising demand from other segments of the economy, such as business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.

"The alleged loss in real property profits if POGOs exit the country should be scrutinized more closely. Surely, property owners can find alternative uses for their properties, especially in a fast-growing economy. In the context of a P23.8 trillion economy, whatever perceived loss might just be a drop in the bucket," she stressed.

"This is the opportune time to weigh whether the POGO industry plays a significant role in our bid for economic recovery and growth despite its deficiencies in complying with our laws. Is it even possible to devise tax, peace and order, and immigration policies on entities that seem to evade law enforcement?" Poe added.

Poe urged the government to bolster its support for the BPO, tourism and agriculture sectors to buoy the local economy.

"We should double up our support to the BPO industry because they will be the natural beneficiaries. We need to invest in retraining, reskilling and dual tech education. We need more investment in connectivity so that the quality and price of bandwidth will not only go down but also make work-from-home more dependable," she said.

"Notwithstanding the challenges that lie ahead for the Philippine economy, we need to have the policy framework and political will to invite strategic investments from industries that are actually worthy of our focus," Poe added.