Philippines’ Largest POGO gaming center is shut down by the Government

This was not an ordinary POGO gaming facility. It is a large complex situated on a huge property of 33 hacter. It was comprised of 57 buildings, including salons, restaurants, cafes, gaming hubs, clinics, and residential buildings, to accommodate its employees.

The POGO facility, which is now closed for business, was employing more than 30,000 employees, and the majority of them were Filipinos. After the closure of this facility, the employees have also lost their jobs. The employment of these Filipinos is also one of the challenges for the government. In this regard, the Department of Labor & Employment and the Department of Trade & Industry are arranging job fairs and putting up their efforts for the placement of unemployed Filipinos.

There is still some probability that some of the small POGO gaming facilities might be operating undercover in the small areas. In this regard, the officials will be utilizing barangays in order to spot such facilities.

In November, President Marcos signed an executive order to cease the POGO gaming operations by the end of 2024, with 31 December being the deadline. EO also emphasized the total ban on all offshore gaming in the Philippines. Since then, the PNP officials and the Cyber Crime Investigation Department have been active against such gaming operators and their facilities.

Although these gaming facilities were creating employment opportunities for the Filipinos, the dark side of these gaming centers can’t be ruled out. We would partially agree with the government’s decision against the gaming centers, as these centers were hubs of some illegal activities like betting, etc. There should be a government authority to register and legalize the gaming and entertainment industry, and legislation needs to be done in this area. Because this can add good revenue to the overall economy of the country