The Philippine government has recently intensified its crackdown on offshore gaming operators (POGO) like never before.

POGO has become a thing of the past, and its former prosperity is gone forever.

Recently, the controversial 33-hectare POGO center in the Kawit area of Camarines Sur province was forcibly shut down. No matter how outrageous the rumors in Camarines Sur were, they ended with its closure.

The POGO centers in Banban and Porac also turned into ghost towns six months after the raids. Overgrown grass and luxury vehicles covered in dust mix together, with buildings damaged and in disarray.

A former POGO center in Pasay City is now being used as a detention center and street vagrant rescue center by PAOCC. Meanwhile, the POGO center in the Nasdaq Building in Pasay City has become the "Walang Gutom Kitchen" (No Hunger Kitchen) of the Philippine Department of Social Welfare (DSWD).

Besides these, many similar POGO centers have met similar fates, with luxurious facilities becoming dilapidated and desolate.

Meanwhile, the Philippine government has begun to accelerate the confiscation of assets related to illegal POGO activities. The Executive Secretary of the Presidential Office stated that although current laws require due process for asset handling, once these properties are confirmed to be related to crimes, they will be owned by the government and even transformed into social service facilities. The aforementioned "No Hunger Kitchen" is an example of this. (The hard-earned assets of Panzong are gone just like that.)

However, with the full implementation of the POGO ban, over one million square meters of office space are now vacant. Real estate consulting firms predict that it will take three to five years for the market to stabilize, and the once glorious contribution of nearly 100 billion pesos per year to the Philippine economy by POGO is no longer present.

Life becomes increasingly difficult for Chinese in the Philippines, with rampant police corruption and extortion

The POGO ban has caused a chain reaction affecting the living environment of Chinese people, with arrests and deportations of employees being minor issues. More importantly, many ordinary Chinese also cannot avoid various harassments and injustices. Recently, several Chinese netizens in the Philippines shared their experiences of being extorted by the police.

In public places, especially areas frequented by Chinese, police in collaboration with local patrol teams corner Chinese individuals under the pretext of checking their documents. Some people have to pay hefty "fines" to avoid further trouble.

Netizens also revealed that Chinese drivers have become targets for traffic police extortion. Despite following the same driving routes, Philippine police officers directly stop vehicles driven by Chinese, accusing them of adhering to traffic rules and imposing various arbitrary charges and fines.

Some individuals manage to avoid trouble by demanding to see official documents or consulting a lawyer, but others, faced with unreasonable demands, choose to "pay off the disaster" by paying substantial fees to keep the peace. (Yes, that's the guy who was tricked into paying 100,000 P for a Japanese meal.)

It seems that Filipinos have figured out that Chinese people do not dare to cause trouble and have started using various means to openly extort money from Chinese people.

Netizens disclosed that in the vicinity of Pearl, there are barangay patrol teams lying in wait to corner Chinese people, and at the intersection of Twin Dragons Road, three traffic policemen, who particularly like to check Chinese motorcyclists, issue numerous "tickets."

There are also checkpoints near the police station at the Bacalaran market, on the main road near the Japanese embassy, and from Pasay to Makati outside by the elevated bridge fountain, among many other checkpoints, all manned by corrupt police!

In addition to corrupt officers, there are now even instances of individuals impersonating public officials to extort money from Chinese people!

Strict scrutiny in the business sector, Chinese businessmen face survival crises

In addition to this, the Philippine government is also cracking down on Chinese people in the business sector, especially focusing on the import of agricultural products. Recently, everyone must have seen the news about 21 containers of Chinese imported frozen mackerel, valued at 178.5 million pesos, being confiscated for not providing complete permits.

What happened to this batch of mackerel? It was distributed to 15,000 poor families.

Recently, the Philippine Bureau of Customs (BoC) conducted a raid and sealing operation at a warehouse in Bulacan province, where a large amount of suspected smuggled rice was seized. Many speculate that this rice might be distributed to the local population, just like the frozen fish.

After all, local rice in the Philippines costs 30-40 pesos per kilo, a price that ordinary Filipinos really can't afford!

Although these measures are ostensibly aimed at combating illegal smuggling and protecting local industries, they also have a significant impact on legally operating Chinese businessmen. The government's tough stance leaves many Chinese businessmen feeling helpless.

It seems that the POGO ban has indeed become a robbery order! Various forces in the Philippines are joining forces to rob and extort Chinese people. Your land, your goods, your money, and even your freedom are gone just like that!

Social security deteriorates, and the POGO unemployment wave brings pervasive crises

The POGO ban affects not only foreign personnel but also local Filipinos. It is reported that the POGO ban has led to the unemployment of 27,000 local employees. Their employment issues have not been resolved. These unemployed individuals find it difficult to find alternative jobs, leading to a sudden increase in life pressures and indirectly contributing to the rise in crime rates, causing social security issues in the Philippines to worsen.

That's just it! They can't get enough to eat, can't earn money, and what else can they do besides commit crimes?

Frequent criminal activities by lawbreakers spare no one, not even locals. In places like Pasig City, underage students have become targets for theft gangs, and street theft and robbery cases are frequent. Netizens have witnessed groups of delinquents openly stealing spare batteries from trucks stuck in traffic!

Anti-Chinese sentiment rises, and Chinese people no longer dare to travel to the Philippines easily

With the government's strict crackdown on illegal activities, the worsening of social security, and the unfair treatment of Chinese people, the living environment for Chinese in the Philippines is becoming increasingly harsh. Not only those involved in gray industries but even ordinary Chinese tourists and businessmen feel at a loss.

Data from the Philippine Minister of Tourism shows that the number of Chinese tourists has dropped from one million in 2019 to less than 244,000 in 2024. Moreover, although the number of tourists has rebounded this year, it still has not reached the expected target.

The current business environment and social atmosphere in the Philippines are making many foreigners hesitant to come, even if the period for foreigners to lease land in the Philippines has been extended from 75 years to 99 years. So what?

If the Philippines cannot alleviate the anti-Chinese sentiment among its people, then in the future, not many Chinese businessmen will dare to invest here!