The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has not received any reports of displaced workers from Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma confirmed this in a recent media interview.
Laguesma explained that authorities continue to monitor the National Capital Region (NCR) closely. This is especially important because, according to him, “that is where the majority of IGLs are.” The government has rebranded POGOs as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs).
The secretary further shared that government teams have already profiled around 20,000 workers in the IGL sector. Fortunately, most of these individuals have the qualifications to shift into jobs in administration, finance, human resources, or encoding-related fields.
Earlier, PAGCOR Chairperson Alejandro Tengco stated that up to 40,000 workers might face displacement due to the planned shutdown of IGLs. This estimate raised concerns about job losses in the gaming industry.
“We are happy because the company has remained cooperative,” Laguesma added. “They are providing us with a list of workers who might be affected by the closure of IGLs before the year ends. This process remains ongoing, and we aim to give proper assistance.”
Meanwhile, authorities continue to encourage affected workers to use available government tools. These include the online job matching platform PhiJobNet. In addition, DOLE expects to organize a job fair specifically for IGL workers “within the month.”
In July, the president formally ordered a complete ban on POGO operations. He instructed operators to shut down all activities by the end of the year.
Consequently, the shutdown will result in significant job losses among local employees currently working in the IGL sector. The government, therefore, must intensify its efforts to help these displaced workers secure new and suitable employment opportunities.
