The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday listed its plans to ensure workers to be displaced by the ban against Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) will continue to have decent jobs.
In his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, President Marcos banned all POGOs in the Philippines.
During last Tuesday’s 2024 Post-SONA Discussion on Education and Workers’ Welfare Development, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said the Philippine Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) started carrying out POGO reforms last year.
He said PAGCOR rebranded POGOs into Internet Gambling licensee (IGL) companies. During the transition in 2023, DOLE requested from employers the list of workers affected by the shift.
“Ang Department of Labor and Employment po ang kauna-unahan sa aming plano iyong profiling ng mga manggagawa na puwedeng maapektuhan at magagawa po namin ito o ginagawa namin ito sa pangkasalukuyan sa pamamagitan ng pakikipag-ugnayan, interaction with the employers – iyong mga IGLs na sinasabi,” Laguesma said.
“Ano po ang aming layunin? Humihingi po kami sa kanila ng listahan ng mga manggagawa nila na direktang nakikinabang doon sa operation nila nang sa ganoon ay makita po namin ano ba iyong aming pinaghahandaan na mga programa ng DOLE,” he pointed out.
Workers’ profiling will include their ability and expertise, current job, compensation, preference and possible government intervention.
Laguesma said among DOLE’s interventions are employment facilitation, and referral on existing jobs based on workers’ skills and expertise.
“Kung may kakulangan, papasok iyong isa pang programa, upskilling, retraining at saka siguro pagbibigay ng guidance kung papaano makakakuha,” Laguesma said.
“Secondly, mayroon din pong programa ang Department of Labor and Employment na may kinalaman sa livelihood. Iyong ayaw nang magtrabaho, puwede bang tulungan magkaroon ng negosyo? Ang Department of Labor and Employment, bahagi ng kaniyang plano magsasagawa po ng mga jobs fair focused doon sa mga available na trabaho at tingnan kung paano ima-match ang ating mga puwedeng maapektuhan ng closure ng banning ng POGO,” he stated.
Laguesma added DOLE learned that majority of POGOs that became IGLs are in Metro Manila.
He said DOLE made initial profiling for Central Luzon and CALABARZON, especially in Laguna, and Cavite.
“So, sa pagpaplano po importante iyong bilang ng mga manggagawa nang sa ganoon mai-swak namin iyong mga dapat na intervention, hindi lamang para sa mga workers na affected pati sa mga dependents ng mga affected na workers,” Laguesma said.
“Iyong mga nabanggit kong programa may kinalaman sa pag-aaral, iyon ang gusto naming ilinya para matulungan sila,” he added.
“At mayroon pang isang aspeto na aming tinitingnan dito sa aming mga plano. Paano po namin sila matutulungan na may kinalaman naman sa posibleng mga benepisyo nila na dapat maipagkaloob ng kanilang employer at kung sila po’y magku-qualify pati rin po iyong possibility na magkaroon po ng unemployment insurance sa bahagi po ng SSS (Social Security System).”
In announcing the POGO ban, the President directed the DOLE, in coordination with economic managers, to find new jobs for Filipino POGO workers. PND
