MANILA, Philippines — Philippine offshore gaming operations (Pogo) are considered business process outsourcing (BPOs) companies, Malacañang said Friday, as its partial reopening gets thegreen light from the government’s COVID-19 inter-agency task force.
Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) Chairman Andrea Domingo said 30 percent of Pogos’ workforce are allowed to resume operations.
“Sa tingin ko po ang Pogo po ay nasa BPO. Kasi po ang BPO naman po, ang pagkakaintindi ko po ang Pogo ay hindi naman dito ang sugal, ang sugal po niyan ay abroad,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio interview.
(I think Pogos are under BPO. My understanding is gambling in Pogos is not done here but abroad.)
“At ang ginagawa po ng mga Pogo ay para silang BPO talaga dahil nandito yung kanilang mga hardware at software at wala namang physical na nangyayari ditong sugal,” he added.
(Pogos are like BPOs because their hardware and software are here but there is no physical gambling inside the country.)
BPOs are among the businesses allowed to operate in quarantine areas, provided that a skeleton staff is observed or a work-from-home arrangement is adopted.
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LIST: Businesses allowed to operate in areas under ECQ and GCQ
Pogo operations were suspended following the imposition of ECQ in the entire Luzon in mid-March. Only essential establishments, like those related to food, medicine, and healthcare, were exempted under the strict quarantine measure.
Roque earlier said resumption of Pogos is only hinged on helping finance the government’s response against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
President Rodrigo Duterte has extended the ECQ in Metro Manila and several high-risk provinces until May 15 to contain the coronavirus.
Areas with low-risk for the coronavirus transmission were placed under a GCQ starting May 1 where some restrictions were relaxed.