Philippines' Interior Minister Jonvic Remulla recently announced that the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will begin to shut down gradually from December 15 and must cease all operations by December 31. This decision was made in accordance with the end-of-year deadline set by President Marcos.
Remulla noted that the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) along with the Philippine National Police (PNP) are jointly handling the 47 still licensed POGOs. He emphasized that starting December 15, relevant departments will inspect these operations to ensure they have commenced shutdown procedures.
"We will take a census of all work visa holders, especially those who entered with POGO-related work visas. As POGOs shut down, their work visas will also become invalid, and they must leave the country," Remulla stated.
The minister stressed that all operations related to POGOs, whether Filipino, Chinese, or American, must stop by December 31. He further explained that even those with valid licenses cannot continue operations, "Shutdown procedures start on December 15, and must be completely terminated by December 31."
Moreover, Remulla revealed that some POGOs are currently engaged in small-scale "guerrilla operations" in the Unsayah and Mindanao regions. Despite their limited scale, authorities have begun investigations and will take actions to thoroughly clean up these activities.
In recent years, the presence of POGOs has sparked numerous controversies, including labor issues, public security, and tax disputes. The government hopes to clean up this industry, strengthen regulation, and provide a safer environment for local communities.
The Philippine authorities stated that they will continue to closely monitor the industry's dynamics in the future, ensuring policy implementation, protecting national interests, and maintaining social stability.
