THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-National Capital Region (NCR) is no longer issuing Alien Employment Permits (AEP) to foreign workers in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
Based on Advisory No. 24-04, DOLE-NCR Director Sarah Mirasol said they shall no longer issue AEPs to foreign employees of companies still identified as a “POGO.”
“Please be informed that this Office shall not accept Alien Employment Permit (AEP) applications with POGO License,” said Mirasol.
The new policy took effect last May 2.
The DOLE-NCR said it shall accept AEP applications from regular internet gaming licensees, provisional internet gaming licensees, or with notice of approval of the aforementioned license issued by PAGCOR and authorizations or notice of approval of the authorizations for gaming content providers and support providers.
It also said it shall accept Accreditations or Notice of Approval of Accreditation of service providers, such as local gaming agents, special class of BPO, training program providers, independent testing laboratories, probity checkers, and accredited hubs.
“Licenses, authorizations, and accreditations or their notices of approval shall also be cross-checked with the list provided by PAGCOR on their website or the list that PAGCOR has been regularly providing, to verify their authenticity,” Mirasol said.
“Companies, which submitted applications with the aforementioned documents but whose names are not on the list provided by PAGCOR, shall not be accepted,” added Mirasol.
The new policy comes on the heels of the decision of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to shift from using the term POGO to Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL).
Both POGO and IGL refer to the offering by a PAGCOR Licensee of authorized online games of chance or sporting events via the internet using a network and software or program, exclusively to offshore authorized players.
The rebranding of POGOs comes amid the continuing links of such entities to criminal activities such as scam operations, human and sex trafficking, as well as illegal immigration and employment.
This image has prompted numerous calls for the Philippine government to shut down all POGOs in the country.