PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco (right) and NBI Director Jaime Santiago seal the partnership between PAGCOR and the National Bureau of Investigation with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement at the PAGCOR Corporate Office in Pasay City Monday, September 29, 2025. PAGCOR committed P50 million to boost the NBI’s law enforcement operations.
The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has committed Php50 million in financial assistance to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to intensify its crackdown on illegal gambling operations, particularly the banned Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).
The partnership was sealed Monday through a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed at PAGCOR’s Corporate Office in Pasay City by PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco and NBI Director Jaime Santiago. An initial Php25 million was immediately released, representing the first tranche of the assistance.
Tengco said the grant underscores PAGCOR’s dual mandate of regulating gaming while ensuring that revenues from legal gaming benefit the Filipino people.
“This agreement highlights the shared duty of PAGCOR and the NBI to promote lawful, fair, and responsible gaming in the Philippines,” he said. “The assistance will cover food and expenses for POGO detainees and support legitimate operations against illegal gaming.”
He stressed that illegal gambling operators not only flout the law but also exploit communities. “By working hand in hand with the NBI, we send a strong message: unlawful gaming practices will not be tolerated,” Tengco added.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco (right) turns over a mock check worth Php25 million to NBI Director Jaime Santiago, representing the first tranche of PAGCOR’s Php50 million financial grant to the bureau.
NBI Director Santiago, meanwhile, said the funding would significantly enhance the Bureau’s operational capacity.
“The NBI welcomes PAGCOR’s support as it strengthens our mandate to go after illegal POGOs and other unlawful gambling activities. This collaboration affirms our commitment to protect the Filipino people and uphold the law,” Santiago said.
The Php50-million partnership signals a more aggressive stance against illegal gambling, with PAGCOR and the NBI aligning their efforts to safeguard the integrity of the gaming industry.