Solons question discrepancies in numbers of POGO workers from 3 gov’t agencies

Lawmakers on Tuesday questioned the discrepancies in the number of workers employed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) on the list of three government agencies.

During an inquiry of the House Committee on Games and Amusements, presiding officer Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr. asked the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) how many employees are currently working for POGOs and allied services in the country based on their respective records.

The BID said there were 39,831 POGO workers issued with working visas as of October 31, while 4,967 others were given provisional work permits and would be able to work in the country only for a maximum of six months.

This brings the number of POGO workers in the country to 44,768, according to BID data.

The DOLE, however, said that as of the second quarter of 2019, they have already issued alien employment permits to 86,537 POGO workers. Of this figure, 83% or 71,532 permits were issued to foreign nationals while the rest were given to Filipino employees.

PAGCOR, on the other hand, reported 92,897 foreign POGO workers in the country based on the gaming regulator’s data.

Barzaga pointed out the discrepancies in the numbers.

“The three government agencies who are supposed to have the same numbers actually have different figures,” he said.

“I would just request these three government agencies to justify their figures and to show what went wrong. Because, theoretically, you must have the same numbers,” he added.

The BID said it is be possible that the DOLE has a higher number of foreign workers because it is the one that issues alien employment permits as a requirement for work visas.

But Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate asked the government agencies to clarify which particular office among them has the primary function of regulating the entry of POGO workers in the country.

“Ang BID is also issuing provisional work permit. Why is the BID issuing this? Isn’t this a function of DOLE?” Zarate noted.

“Kaya lumalabas, magkaiba ang figure. Then the BID is saying na siguro mas mataas ang figure ng DOLE. But here we are, mas mataas ang figure ng PAGCOR,” he added.

When it comes to the number of POGO workers, the DOLE and BID are more authoritative than the gaming regulator, said Victor Padilla Jr. of the PAGCOR Offshore Gaming Licensing Department.

However, with the issues surrounding POGOs, the gaming regulator has also started issuing offshore gaming employment licenses, Padilla noted.

“All workers of POGOs will not be allowed to work under our POGO licensees and service providers if they don’t have the offshore gaming employment license,”0 he said.

“To get that offshore gaming employment license, they should have first a valid PWP (provisional work permit), alien working permit from DOLE and TIN number from BIR. So in the recent issues, that’s how we are trying to help also the BIR and the Department of Labor,” he added.

Homer Arellano of the BID also offered possible explanations regarding the discrepancies.

“I think number one is that not all foreign nationals involved in POGO that were issued alien employment permits of the DOLE pushed through with their visa application with the Bureau of Immigration,” Arellano noted.

This happens when an employer terminates the services of an employee before the worker was able to apply for a visa, or the workers simply left the country on their own, according to the BID official.

“Secondly, it's possible that they did not apply for a provisional work permit but they are still processing the documentary requirements in compliance with the documentary requirements in the issuance of the working visa with the Bureau of Immigration,” he added.

Zarate and fellow Bayan Muna party-list Representatives Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat are calling for an inquiry into the impact of POGOs, especially on the economy, national security, and the population in general.

While POGOs are expected to generate additional revenue for the government, serious issues have emerged particularly on revenue monitoring and the “unbridled” entry of foreign workers without valid work permits.

“There are also related serious issues of money laundering, usury or loan sharking, illegal immigration, human trafficking and other crimes,” Zarate noted.

It was earlier reported that the passports of Chinese workers who were hired by POGOs were confiscated. The workers were supposedly crammed in tiny bedrooms and were not allowed to take meal breaks longer than 30 minutes. —VDS, GMA News