INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
The nation’s largest employers’ group is asking on the federal government to progressively part out the controversial Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos), citing the potential ripple results to different industries aside from the lack of round 40,000 jobs from the multi-billion-peso sector.
Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. mentioned {that a} gradual as a substitute of an abrupt ban ought to assist cushion the impression of the exit, particularly on employment.
READ: BIZ BUZZ: Pogos: Nowhere to go however out
“The federal government ought to begin with eliminating the unlawful ones. If we are able to do the identical with casinos and regulate them, then we are able to do it for Pogos, too,” Ortiz-Luis mentioned in a latest interview with the Inquirer.
The Ecop official mentioned that apart from the some 40,000 at present working in Pogos, extra are employed in allied industries and people servicing the Pogo sector, together with the meals and transportation sectors.
In July, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Trade made an identical name on the federal government to implement the ban in phases, to present extra time for the economic system to regulate to the Pogos’ departure.
Sona
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had mentioned throughout his State of the Nation Deal with on July 22, nevertheless, that he needed Pogos shut down by the top of the yr.
Based on 2022 figures from the Affiliation of Service Suppliers and Pogos, their trade employs a complete of 23,118 Filipinos, 11,766 of whom are direct hires and 11,342 oblique ones.
That is on high of the 17,130 overseas nationals which are additionally employed within the gaming sector.
READ: BIZ BUZZ: From Pogo to polo
Pogos have paid P18 billion in authorities charges to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) from 2016 to 2019.
This quantity has since dropped to P7 billion and fell additional to P5 billion by 2023.
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Greater than 46 operators are registered with the federal government based on Pagcor’s data, with the state gaming regulator estimating that 250 to 300 are nonetheless working within the nation with no license. INQ
