THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) yesterday said only “less than a thousand” foreigners who worked in Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) facilities remain unaccounted for as the December 31 deadline for the shutdown of the offshore gaming industry nears.
Immigration spokesperson Dana Krizia Sandoval said majority of the foreign POGO workers have departed or are set to leave the country.
“Out of the 33,000 plus registered POGO workers, about 23,000 or 24,000 have voluntarily left the country, while a substantial number, about 7,000 to 8,000, downgraded their visas,” Sandoval said in Filipino.
“Kakaunti na lang po ang unaccounted, about less than a thousand (There is only a small number of unaccounted foreign POGO workers, about less than a thousand),” she added.
She said the unaccounted foreigners only have until the end of the month to voluntarily leave the country “so they will not be blacklisted.”
Visa downgrading allows foreign nationals to revert their status from a work visa to a temporary visitor visa, enabling them to remain legally in the Philippines for 59 days while winding down their affairs.
The BI has previously said visas of all foreign POGO workers would be considered canceled come January 1 in compliance withe the order of President Marcos Jr. to close all offshore gaming hubs across the country.
Sandoval said the BI is in close coordination with law enforcement agencies to ensure that POGOs do not switch to splinter or “guerilla-type” operations after December 31.
The BI in October issued cancelation orders against 12,106 foreign nationals who did not downgrade their visas.
Earlier, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said foreign POGO workers will be considered as “illegal aliens after December 31, 2024,” referring to the deadline set by the President.
