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On December 5th, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration's ALO monitoring list was leaked, involving the detailed personal information of 8,427 foreign POGO employees, including names, genders, dates of birth, passport numbers, and nationalities.
This list, which was supposed to be internal data of the immigration bureau, has been widely circulated, involving employees from China, Vietnam, India, and other countries. According to statistics, it includes information on 1,062 Chinese nationals.
The front page of the list clearly states that these individuals hold POGO 9G visas, have not complied with the policy of downgrading their visas before October 15, and have not yet left the country, thus they are on the ALO list.
This document orders the individuals on the list to:
1) Apply for visa downgrade and pay the corresponding fees
2) Update their accommodation situation (if applicable)
3) Obtain an Emigration Clearance Certificate (ECC) and NBI clearance
4) Leave the Philippines by December 31, 2024
More importantly, the document states "no extension/conversion to other visa categories," meaning these individuals "cannot extend/convert to other visa categories."
What does being on the ALO list mean (Allowed to Leave Order)?
ALO is an early warning mechanism that requires non-compliant foreigners to leave the country within a specified period to avoid more severe consequences. If they do not leave on time, they will face stricter penalties, such as:
1. Deadline to leave
- Must leave the Philippines within the specified time, otherwise face further penalties.
2. Transfer to the BLO list
- Those who fail to leave as required will automatically be placed on the BLO blacklist, being permanently or long-term banned from entering.
3. Detention and forced deportation
- Individuals who fail to leave on time may be detained by the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and forcibly deported back to their home country, with the related costs borne by the individual.
4. Impact on future immigration records
- Being on the ALO or BLO list will affect an individual's international immigration record, possibly leading to visa rejections or strict scrutiny when applying for visas in other countries.
5. Verification and fines
- When caught by law enforcement, one must present proof of legal departure, otherwise face fines or legal proceedings.
In addition, there is also the risk of personal information leakage. Because the ALO list leak contains detailed personal information, it may be illegally misused, increasing the risk of identity theft and other security issues.
However, this list has just been leaked, and netizens have revealed that this leaked ALO list is just the first batch, with a second batch to come!
Indeed, on December 15th, a second batch of the list was leaked online, involving 3,678 POGO employees. Together with the first batch, a total of over 12,000 people's information has been leaked!
Earlier, according to statistics from the Philippine Bureau of Immigration, as of November 7, 2024, 21,757 foreign employees associated with Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) had voluntarily downgraded their work visas to temporary visitor visas, of which 10,821 had left the Philippines, while about 10,936 foreign employees had not yet completed the visa downgrade or departure procedures.
The Philippine government has required these individuals to leave the country by December 31, 2024, otherwise, they will face the risk of being expelled and blacklisted.
Blacklist Order, abbreviated as BLO
is a final punitive measure, where violators are placed on a blacklist, banned from entering the Philippines for a long or permanent period.
Not complying with ALO requirements, or being involved in human trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering, and other serious illegal activities, are likely to be placed on the blacklist.
What does being on the BLO list mean?
1. Permanent or long-term ban on entry
Individuals on the BLO list will be permanently marked in the Philippine Bureau of Immigration's system, unable to re-enter the Philippines unless the ban is revoked through special administrative or legal procedures.
2. Forced deportation
If a person is on the BLO list within the Philippines, they will face forced deportation and bear the costs of the deportation process.
3. Impact on international immigration records
Being on the BLO list will leave a negative record on international immigration records, leading to strict scrutiny or even rejection when applying for visas in other countries.
4. Inability to conduct related business
Foreigners on the BLO blacklist not only cannot enter the Philippines but also cannot engage in visa-related business, work, or tourism activities in the Philippines.
5. Legal consequences
Being on the BLO list is usually due to violating Philippine immigration laws, involvement in serious crimes or illegal activities, such as human trafficking, illegal gambling, money laundering, etc., thus possibly facing other related legal proceedings.
Moreover, the continuous leakage of these lists makes one wonder if more lists will be published before the POGO ban deadline of December 31st?
For those already on the ALO list, timely handling of related procedures and leaving on time is the best way to avoid being placed on the BLO list.
