The Bureau of Immigration (BI) in the Philippines stated that over 21,000 foreign nationals have had their visas downgraded following the prohibition of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) announced in July.
Lawyer Pio Rodulfo III from the BI's legal department mentioned that a total of 21,757 foreign POGO workers had their visas downgraded, with 10,821 of them having already left the country.
"Since the announcement, a total of 21,757 foreigners have applied for visa downgrades. Of these, 10,821 have already left the country," said Rodulfo III during a hearing on the proposed bill to ban POGO operations in the country, held by the House Committee on Games and Amusements.
Previously, after the ban on POGO operations, foreign POGO workers were required to downgrade their 9G visas to tourist visas by October 15, 2024. Last month, over 12,000 people applied for the downgrade.
The visa downgrade allows foreigners to revert their status from a work visa to a temporary visitor visa, enabling them to legally work in the Philippines for 59 days. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. banned all POGOs last July, following allegations of criminal activities including human trafficking, serious illegal detention, and financial fraud by several such enterprises.
Earlier this month, Marcos issued Executive Order No. 74, which stipulates that the ban on POGO and internet gaming licenses should include illegal offshore gaming operations, license applications, license renewals, and cessation of operations.
An inter-agency task force, composed of the Bureau of Immigration, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and other agencies, has also been established to oversee the shutdown of POGOs and assist affected workers.
The Department of Finance earlier cited data from PAGCOR and the Department of Labor and Employment, revealing that as of 2023, there were a total of 66,547 POGO workers in the country.
Of these workers, the majority (41,347) are foreigners, while the remaining 25,200 are Filipinos.
