Since last year when President Xiao Ma announced the ban on POGOs, the number of Chinese people around me has really decreased. Now, it's almost hard to encounter a few compatriots even during the rush hours to and from work, like in the RCBC area, where the bustling scene of the past is no longer visible. When going out for shopping or dining on weekends, like going to 999 for Chao Niu hotpot, I found that the restaurant is mostly filled with Vietnamese people, with hardly any Chinese.

I estimate that since then, at least 70% of the Chinese have left the Philippines. The atmosphere suddenly became very quiet. I heard that the companies that moved to third countries are also not having an easy time, hiding everywhere, as if they were driven out of their comfort zones, and their condition is very poor.

I have never really understood why Xiao Ma would do this. When he announced the ban on POGOs last year, he mentioned it compromised national security, became a social burden, and also pointed out that POGOs contribute less than 1% to the Philippine economy. But the problem is—if he really isn't optimistic about the gambling industry, then why support local gambling? Isn't that contradictory?

After all, I always feel that this matter is more the result of political manipulation, and we Chinese have become the scapegoats in this situation.