THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) hopes for the peaceful departure of foreign nationals working for Philippine Gaming Offshore Operators (POGOs).
This follows a directive to ban POGO operations in the country.
BI Spokesperson Danna Sandoval is urging POGO workers to leave the country voluntarily and to coordinate with Immigration for visa downgrading.
“Do it voluntarily, please go to the Bureau of Immigration to downgrade your visas, surrender your status, and leave the country. We expect the implementation of our order for foreign workers in online gaming companies to be peaceful,” according to Danna Sandoval, Spokesperson, Bureau of Immigration.
“Upon the dissolution of their company, upon the filing of the downgrading, within 60 days, they have to leave the country already,” Sandoval added.
20-K foreign nationals expected to leave PH by year-end
The BI expects around 20,000 foreigners to leave the country by year-end following the POGO Ban.
Most of them are said to be Chinese nationals.
“Our target, what we foresee, more or less, is that there would be around 20,000 foreign nationals of various nationalities leaving until the end of the year. Although these are of various nationalities, we believe the majority, perhaps 75 or 80%, will be Chinese nationals, with the remainder consisting of various other nationalities,” she stated.
If POGO workers fail to comply within the given timeframe, the government will proceed with their deportation.
“As part of those orders, the President stated that they must leave within the year. So, two months before the end of the year, we expect all these foreign nationals to have downgraded. If they do not comply with the requirement to leave within that specified period, they will face deportation proceedings. Once deportation proceedings begin, they will be expelled and deported, unlike now when they are asked to voluntarily leave during the winding-down period,” she stressed.
The BI meanwhile clarified that they are no longer accepting visa applications for Online Gaming Companies, including internet gaming licenses (IGL)
“Yes, no more. Immediately following the President’s State of the Nation Address, Commissioner Tansingco also halted the processing of any applications for new visas or permits for online gaming companies, whether licensed by PAGCOR or not, in accordance with the President’s directive,” she ended.
