DILG says Pogo closure to have minimal economic impact

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla stated that the total closure of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) by December 31, 2024, will have no significant impact on the Philippine economy.

Remulla cited the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), which estimates that only 0.25% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be affected by the Pogo closure.

This translates to an estimated P20 billion annually, a figure Remulla believes can be compensated through other revenue-generating initiatives by the Department of Finance.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. officially ordered the immediate ban on Pogos through Executive Order No. 74 issued in November.

Of the 353,000 visas issued for Pogos in the last six years, only 33,863 remained in the country, with 23,099 having already left and 6,732 still present, many applying to downgrade their visas.

Remulla also mentioned 1,001 individuals with no updated information and noted reports of Filipinas pregnant with Pogo workers whose husbands have been repatriated but are now seeking to return to the Philippines.