MANILA, Philippines — The government must decide if it has the capacity to regulate the Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO) industry amid legitimate concerns from both supporters and detractors of the game, a lawmaker said on Friday.
According to Rizal 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles, both those in support of letting the POGO industry operate in the country and those who seek its ban have raised good points during the recent hearing on the said games’ impact on employment in the country.
“The whole government will have to look long and hard at itself to see whether it has the capacity and the will to properly regulate the industry so that the bad can be rooted out and the good preserved,” Nograles said.
“The massive contribution of POGOs to our economy is undeniable. Yet, this should not be the sole factor in our decision on whether to ban or continue, as there are social and even financial costs as well to consider,” he added.
Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives committee on labor and employment — which Nograles chairs — listened to the clamor from POGO workers about the industry being a big help to their financial needs. One worker said that she has been able to sustain their family’s needs due to her work at a legal POGO company.
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However, in recent weeks, there have been calls to ban POGOs after several crime incidents were said to have been connected to the games.
During the same hearing, National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) officials said that POGOs have been delivering a net cost to the country — meaning that its social costs outweigh its contributions to revenues.
Neda also claimed that a ban on POGOs would benefit the Philippine tourism industry as it would no longer be blacklisted by China — a claim disputed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda.
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Salceda, a firm supporter of the POGOs’ continuous operations, has noted in the past that illegal activities associated with POGOs come from those without licenses and not from legitimate companies.
READ: Salceda: Total Pogo ban harms economy, gov’t should target illegal ‘actors’
Nograles said the debate about the sustainability of POGOs might never go away, especially as government offices also claim that the country would lose P64.61 billion in direct economic contributions and at least 36,000 current and possibly available jobs if POGOs are banned — while the other side brings up its negative effects to the country.
“The debate, however, will continue, and possibly will never go away,” he claimed.
“Ngunit makakaasa ang taumbayan na pipilitin ng Kongreso na makapaglikha ng polisiya na magtataguyod ng kapakanan ng bansa at ng mga Pilipino,” he added.
(But the Filipino people can count on Congress to create policies that would uphold the welfare of the people and Filipinos.)