Gatchalian asks DOLE to transfer displaced POGO employees to BPOs
Senate Labor and Employment committee member Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is asking the Department of Labor and Employment to hasten its program that will assist Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) employees who can potentially be retrenched amid the government’s inclination to deauthorize the said industry.
“While we do not expect an abrupt displacement of POGO workers, it is important that immediate assistance or intervention is readily available for these Filipino workers to find replacement jobs as soon as possible,” Gatchalian said in a statement.
The senator is urging DOLE to draft a comprehensive plant that will help POGO employees transfer, transition well and thrive in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector.
He noted that the Philippine BPO industry is among the most resilient and fastest growing in the country with annual growth of 8 per cent.
“It can be gleaned from available data that BPO is a growing industry, and we can encourage our people to pursue employment in this industry,” he said.
“By comparison, the POGO industry is declining even after we have put in place a tax regime that legalized their operations. It is obvious the POGO industry is not worth pursuing as a sustainable industry in terms of providing employment to our people,” he stressed.
