PAGCOR grants almost $900K for repatriation of illegal POGO workers?
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has approved a PHP50 million ($886,750) grant to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to facilitate the deportation of foreign nationals employed by illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
The financial support was formalised through a Memorandum of Agreement signed on 30 June at the PAGCOR Executive Office in Pasay City. The grant will be released in two equal tranches, with the first PHP25 million ($443,375) disbursed during the signing ceremony.
These individuals are unable to return to their home countries because they cannot afford a plane ticket, Alejandro Tengco, PAGCOR Chairman and CEO, said. This grant will ensure they receive assistance by international laws and humanitarian considerations.
Assistance for deportation centres and ongoing enforcement
According to Tengco, the grant will be used to cover repatriation expenses for foreign nationals currently held at the BI Warden Facility and Protection Unit. This inter-agency effort is not just about sending people home; it also ensures that only legitimate gaming operations are allowed in our country, Tengco said.
PAGCOR reiterated its continued support for the governments efforts to crack down on offshore gaming operations, following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to enforce the nationwide ban on illegal POGOs.
PAGCOR has been continuously collaborating with the BI in enforcing the governments ban on offshore gaming operations, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.s directive last year, Tengco added.
BI sees partnership as boost to public safety
Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado acknowledged the necessity of inter-agency coordination in addressing evolving security threats related to POGOs.
Fast-tracking the deportation cases of illegal POGO workers will help ensure a safer community for Filipinos, Viado said. The BIs partnership with PAGCOR is proof that our national government has the interest of the Filipinos at heart.
Since I assumed the leadership of PAGCOR, I have always been open to help and collaborate with our partner agencies, Tengco added. We look forward to deepening this collaboration with the BI to help create a safe and progressive place for all Filipinos.
POGO ban and national crackdown
The funding initiative comes as part of a broader campaign led by Marcos to eliminate all remaining illegal POGO operations. Law enforcement bodies, such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), have been conducting coordinated operations.
Digital crime aftermath and concerns of transition to cyber fraud
Last week, the countrys Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) raised concerns about former POGO workers transitioning into online scams. DICT Secretary Henry Aguda remarked that many Filipino scammers learned their techniques while employed in offshore gaming operations.
DICT has since expanded cybersecurity training to over 230,000 police officers and is coordinating closely with the PNP to bolster national defences against cyber threats.
