Philippines to aid workers displaced by offshore gaming ban
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced its plans to provide emergency and reemployment assistance to workers affected by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s total ban on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
The ban, set to take effect by the end of the year, aims to address various illicit activities linked to the industry.
DOLE’s assistance programs
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma detailed the department’s strategy, which includes emergency employment, skills upgrading, retooling, and employment facilitation programs. These initiatives will be tailored based on the profiling of Filipino workers directly employed by Pogos.
So far, DOLE has identified 28 out of 79 registered POGOs in Metro Manila who have submitted their employee lists. Initial profiling of approximately 10,000 employees indicates that many could transition to roles in information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) companies.
Laguesma noted that many POGO employees possess encoding skills, which are in high demand in the IT sector. In contrast, those with administrative and finance skills may find opportunities in other industries.
Impact on Filipino workers
However, there appears to be a discrepancy in the number of registered POGOs in the Philippines. While DOLE counts 79 registered Pogos in Metro Manila, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) Chair Alejandro Tengco reported only 43 legal POGOs remaining.
PAGCOR estimated that the POGO ban will affect around 40,000 Filipino workers, including 31,000 direct employees and nearly 10,000 special business process outsourcing (SBPO) workers.
These SBPO workers, while not involved in gaming operations, serve clients from gaming companies in America, Canada, and Europe.
PAGCOR AVP for External Communications Catalino Alano Jr. said that their priority now is to talk with DOLE representatives and the country’s economic managers to determine how they can mitigate the job loss caused by the banning of POGOs.
Transition to IT and BPO sectors
Meanwhile, DOLE Undersecretary Felipe Egargo Jr. emphasized that the transition for displaced workers will be managed on a staggered basis.
DOLE plans to offer skilling, reskilling, and upskilling programs, as well as livelihood packages for those with entrepreneurial skills. Additionally, job fairs will be organized to facilitate both local and overseas employment opportunities.
As the year-end deadline approaches, DOLE and PAGCOR remain committed to ensuring that displaced POGO workers find new employment opportunities, particularly in the IT and BPO sectors.