The Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE) is in the process of finding jobs for the thousands of workers expected to be displaced from the total ban President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. imposed on Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).
Marcos announced the ban in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday (July 22), and directed the DOLE to assist workers who will be displaced. In the session of the post-SONA discussions on education and workers on Wednesday, July 24, Labour Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma elaborated on the DOLE’s plans to carry out the President’s order.
Laguesma explained that the first order of business for the DOLE was to conduct “profiling” of the affected workers, which means finding out what skills they have, their current positions, current salaries, preferred work, and possible interventions.
The process of profiling involves asking for a list of workers from their employers, POGOs, or what was rebranded as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs), Laguesma said. Regional DOLE implementors are in charge of collecting submissions from the IGLs.
Which POGOs are affected by Marcos’ ban?
Pagcor chief Al Tengco says 43 Internet Gaming Licensees employing around 40,000 Filipino workers are presumably affected by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s POGO ban
Philippine immigration chief Norman Tansingco says foreign workers have 59 days to leave the country. Around 20,000 people are expected to be affected by the order, most of them Chinese citizens.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’s (Pagcor) Offshore Gaming Licensing Department has a list of 45 IGLs, of which 43 were operating as of July 16. Laguesma said the department’s initial information so far is from Metro Manila, where most of the POGOs have transitioned into IGLs, as well as in Calabarzon or the Southern Luzon region and Central Luzon.
A total of 34 IGLs reported at least 15,000 workers in Metro Manila. Other IGLs reported another 5,000 in Calabarzon. Laguesma said the number of affected workers is “moving.”
Possible interventions include referral to existing vacancies for those who have skills that match these, or job fairs. But if skills are lacking in the job market’s vacancies, the DOLE has upskilling programmes and job-hunting guidance.
Laguesma also mentioned a DOLE programme that allows workers to start businesses instead of going back to being employees if this is their preference.
“DOLE will always be seriously concerned, even if just one job is lost… Other than job creation, we would also like to emphasize job preservation,” Laguesma said in a mix of English and Filipino. – Rappler.com
