MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday said it is expecting some 20,000 more foreign Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) workers to leave the country in the next few weeks.
BI made the pronouncement upon issuing another reminder to foreign workers of the Dec. 31 deadline for the ban of now-illegal Pogos.
“The BI expects around 20,000 more foreign POGO workers to leave in the next few weeks,” the agency said in a statement.
BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado emphasized the urgency of the matter, noting that foreign nationals now have only 29 days left to comply with the ban of Pogo operations.
Viado said that as of November 7, a total of 21,757 foreign Pogo workers have already downgraded their work visas to temporary visitors visas.
“Out of the approved applications for downgrading, 10,821 foreign nationals have since left the country already,” he said.
Meanwhile, Viado said the BI in October also issued cancelation orders to 12,106 foreign nationals who have yet to downgrade their visas.
He warned that those who fail to leave before the deadline will be subjected to deportation proceedings and will be blacklisted.
The BI then committed to ensure a smooth and orderly process for affected foreign workers, hence the reminder to meet the deadline.
In July this year, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. banned all Pogo operations in the Philippines after lawmakers and critics repeatedly cited the minimal economic contribution Pogo operations provide compared to significant social costs, including links to criminal activities such as human trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering.