In an online briefing, Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma mentioned that these 26,996 workers are primarily employed by 54 Internet Gaming License (IGL) companies and their affiliated service providers, concentrated in the National Capital Region (NCR) and CALABARZON. Among these personnel, direct workers are employees directly hired by Internet Gaming Licenses, certified service providers, and special category BPOs, while indirect workers include security personnel, cleaning staff, drivers, chefs, and domestic service workers.
Laguesma expressed the government's intention to make every effort to provide necessary services, including helping these individuals transition to desired jobs or establish their own livelihood plans. The Department of Labor will organize a specialized job fair in the first week of October for affected Internet Gaming License workers, referring them to existing job vacancies and providing livelihood projects, and hopes to assist through possible skill enhancement and retraining.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the issuing authority for Internet Gaming Licenses, stated that up to 42,000 Filipino workers could be affected by the comprehensive ban. Catalino B. Alano, Jr., Assistant Vice President for External Communications and Corporate Affairs at PAGCOR, noted that as of July 1, only 41 legally operating Internet Gaming License companies remained, concentrated in the National Capital Region, Laguna Province, and Camarines. There are 14 special category BPO companies and 20 certified service providers.
Leonardo A. Lanzona, Jr., a professor of economics at Ateneo de Manila University, mentioned that the POGO ban could exacerbate unemployment issues in the Philippines, as most of the laid-off workers will be absorbed into the informal sector, worsening existing employment quality issues.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that with fresh graduates entering the labor market, the unemployment rate in the Philippines rose to a one-year high of 4.7% in July. This means that in July, 2.38 million Filipinos were unemployed, an increase of 755,000 from 1.62 million in June. Compared to the same period last year, the number of unemployed increased by 86,000, with 2.29 million unemployed in July 2023.
Jose Sonny G. Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers, stated that the number of affected Filipino workers is a "significant issue" that could exacerbate unemployment and poverty, especially for those who find it difficult to transition to other industries. He said, "With so many workers unemployed, government agencies such as the Department of Labor and the Philippine Social Security System (SSS) need to take immediate action. The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) should be mobilized to provide retraining and skill enhancement programs to enable these workers to find jobs in other industries."
Benjamin B. Velasco, assistant professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman School of Labor and Industrial Relations, emphasized the importance of providing a social safety net for workers. He believes it is crucial for society to ensure alternative livelihoods or jobs are available, and these jobs should at least match or exceed the original jobs in terms of quality. Job fairs, employment services, and skill retraining are also important tools and interventions. However, he also noted that the government's track record in these actions is not clear and optimistic.
Renecio "Luke" S. Espiritu, Jr., chairman of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, called on the government to be accountable for the social costs brought by POGO. He said, "The Marcos government should ensure that those exploited by POGO are provided with a transition to decent, regular jobs. The Marcos government has a responsibility through the Department of Labor to help these workers transition from the gambling industry and provide them with dignified, stable jobs or alternative livelihoods."
