The proliferation of POGOs (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations) in the country is a cause for much concern, but it is also manageable via a strong political will and determination, since POGOs bring substantial tax revenues for the country.
A legal operation of a POGO requires a license issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation or PAGCOR.
Quite recently, I remember the time when Chinese nationals would lease subdivision houses and pay in advance for 2 years which, of course, would be very attractive for the homeowner. But the downside of this is the number of occupants who would stay, let’s say, in a 4-bedroom house. It would have to accommodate between 10-15 individuals.
Can you imagine the unavoidable wear and tear of the house, especially to the toilets?
And then they would noisily arrive at late hours of the night between 12 midnight to 1 am. This was the norm then which caused so many discomfort for the neighbors. The same way went with several buildings in the Metro where they would locate their offshore gaming operations.
On Sundays, one would see Chinese nationals walking the sidewalks and dining in their favorite Chinese restaurants. But things have changed and many of these operations have now been contained in specific areas and mini Chinatowns.
While it is obvious that no POGO is without the presence of illegal activities, the government can flex its muscles even stronger to monitor such activities. POGOs achieved popularity during the Duterte regime which resulted in a boom in the industry. As such, operators offer numerous gaming services like sports betting, casino games, to all kinds of wagering.
The Chinese are known to put their money (in the form of bets) in anything that would have both a victor and a victim. POGO contribution to the economy in 2022 was approximately P53 billion or about 0.31% of the country’s GDP via rentals, wages, and operating expenses.
But this figure declined since it once reached a whopping P104 billion in 2019 (0.67% of GDP). While tax revenues from POGOs have fluctuated over the years, total taxes in 2021 amounted to approximately P7.5 billion, and to discontinue these operations would result in revenue loss of P64.5 billion which directly contributes to a little over 0.3% of our GDP. Of these, POGOs should employ a workforce from a 50/50 sharing. 50% Chinese and 50% Filipinos.
From an overview, Chinese tourists entering the country ranked 2nd in 2019 with 1.74 million visitors.
While POGOs have a significant contribution to the Philippine economy, it has, sad to say, also contributed to many POGO-related crimes. They have posed challenges as to how to regulate them effectively since it is obvious that the presence of Chinese nationals in Filipino neighborhoods causes a lot of socio-cultural tensions.
And yes, while many POGO operations have been the origins of crime such as money laundering and illegal gambling, it is high time that the government give it due attention to regulate their operations to make sure that everything operates smoothly under their noses.
It can be done with political will and determination. In doing so, POGOs suspected as fronts for Chinese espionage and spying on government entities would be
addressed, what with the arrests of such recently because of illegal statuses when entering the country.
It is also a good way to clean up the ranks of the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Thus, the government will do well should it effectively balance revenue gains and national security.
Again, it can be done with a strong political will and a no-nonsense monitoring and good management of the influx of Chinese nationals with the proper documentation as to their visas, work permits, and resident status.
I’m not too jolly about it
As a frequent customer of a fastfood chain with an insect for its logo, I have noticed of late a steady decline of its surroundings when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness.
At least to the same store I go to. This does not apply however to all their stores.
Sad, because I love their food tremendously, but because of its not-too-clean surroundings, (they also keep running out of table napkins) I go instead to their next-door competitor. And my pet peeve is this: why do their cashiers always ask me for loose change like a peso?
Being the cashier, isn’t she the one who should have provisions for change all the time? This is quite inconvenient for a hungry customer.
Another pet-peeve is even with many customers in line, only one or two cash registers out of let’s say five or six are open. This happens all the time.
It’s time we correct these nuisances. I tell you why this practice continues, because Filipinos are shy to complain. They would rather wait long lines or get that coin found in their deep pockets.
Which reminds me of a campaign joke I thought of should Manny Pacquiao run for public office like the presidency (God forbid!) with Chiz Escudero as his VP running mate: “Vote Champ With Chiz!” with the same fastfood joint as their food sponsors for every political sortie they would go to.
What do you think? Will it fly or fly out the window?
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