Philippines announces about deporting 11,000 POGO workers

[Wolf32]

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said that it will deport more than 11,000 Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) workers who are still in the country.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared a ban on POGOs during his third State of the Nation Address in July 2024, giving legal operators until year-end to cease operations. Now, three days after the deadline, authorities are finalizing the process.

On Friday, January 3, the BI announced plans to deport 11,254 foreign nationals linked to POGO operations in the Philippines. According to BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, these individuals either failed to downgrade their visas or, despite doing so, did not leave the country before the December 31, 2024 deadline. Viado added that he has already ordered a search for POGO workers who are illegally staying in the country.
Joel Anthony Viado, the BI Commissioner, mentioned:

They are considered illegal aliens now. Expect an intensified manhunt against these illegal aliens. The order of the President is clear. No more POGO in the Philippines. Foreign nationals who continue to disobey this will be arrested, deported, and blacklisted. No exceptions.

The BI has warned companies harboring POGO workers to surrender them to authorities, cautioning that concealing foreign POGO workers may result in legal action for harboring illegal aliens. The agency also reported that 22,609 foreign POGO workers departed the country before the December 31 deadline.

During Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, POGOs grew rapidly, but authorities later uncovered links to crimes such as human trafficking and scams.