DOLE intensifies monitoring of POGO operation areas, workers

More labor law compliance officers have been deployed in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators' areas of operation to make sure the government would not be disadvantaged by POGOs that reportedly employ foreign workers, mostly Chinese without valid work permits.  

Secretary Silvestre Bello III told Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday that the Department of Labor (DOLE) has intensified its monitoring of POGO operations.

"In fact, dinagdagan kami ng 500 na labor law compliance officers (LLCO) to watch workers in the POGO operation areas. Unang una, we have to make sure that workers there ay mayroong Alien Employment Permit (AEP)," Bello said.

He pointed out that the Labor department would not issue AEPs to foreign workers who are doing jobs Filipinos are capable of doing.

"Hindi kami nagbibigay ng AEP sa kahit sinong foreigner kung ang trabahong ginagawa nila ay kayang gawin ng mga Filipino."

Moreover, he said the DOLE would not issue AEPs to foreign workers who have no tax identification number (TIN) to make sure that taxes the government deserves is paid.

"Bago kamin mag-issue ng AEP (assuming na qualified ang isang foreigner) kailangan muna silang magpapakita ng TIN upang matiyak natin na mababayaran nila ang kaukulang buwis," he said.

Asked if DOLE has enough personnel to properly monitor POGOs, he said, "Madali lang naman tukuyin ang POGO areas of operation. Dito sa Maynila kung saan may pinakamaraming operators, nag-deploy kami ng karagdagang 150 personnel."

Also, the department has deployed additional people in Regions 2, 3, 4 and 11, he added.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed fears that POGOs near Military hubs can be turned into "spying centers."

Since President Rodrigo Duterte expressed "his pivot to China" as part of his administration's foreign policy, Chinese nationals have entered the country in droves and have settled in several areas in main urban centers in the country, converting some places into "China towns." —LBG, GMA News