MANILA, Philippines — All foreign workers of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) and the Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs) have 60 days to leave the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Wednesday.
Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco issued this statement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made the directive to ban all Pogos in his third State of the Nation Address.
“Disguising as legitimate entities, their operations have ventured into illicit areas furthest from gaming such as financial scamming, money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, kidnapping, brutal torture, even murder,” Marcos said.
READ: Marcos: ‘All Pogos are banned!’
Tansingco said foreign Pogos, IGLs, and related service providers have 59 days to wind down their affairs or they will be deported beginning the 60th day.
The BI expects around 20,000 foreign workers to leave the country in the next two months.
Tansingco said all pending visa applications for Pogos and IGLs will be denied.
He warned that the BI has a list of Pogo and IGL workers and has instructed their intelligence division and fugitive search unit to intensify arrests against violators and illegal online gaming hubs.
To date, BI has deported over 2,300 workers in scam hubs operating in the guise of gaming companies in the Philippines.