Approximately 3,000 foreign workers employed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) have already left the Philippines after their visas were downgraded.
That’s according to a statement from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Saturday. BI Officer-in-Charge Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado reported during a “Task Force POGO Closure” meeting that, as of September 24th, a total of 5,955 visas had been downgraded. Of those, about 55 percent of the workers have since exited the country.
The task force, which includes the Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), was joined by representatives from the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation during the meeting.
Viado announced that the task force agreed to organize service days for POGO companies, where teams would personally visit POGO sites to downgrade visas on the spot and issue exit clearances. Representatives from DOLE will also be on hand to collect the alien employment permits surrendered by POGO workers.
This coordinated effort is part of a broader push by government agencies to expedite the departure process for foreign workers employed by POGOs, now officially referred to as Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs).
The DOJ has given all foreign POGO workers until October 15th to voluntarily downgrade their visas. Workers who fail to comply by the deadline will have 59 days to leave the country, after which deportation proceedings will begin. Those still in the country after December 31st will face arrest, deportation, and blacklisting from the Philippines.
Viado noted that while the current efforts are progressing, 2025 is expected to bring more challenges, as authorities will focus on apprehending those who refuse to leave and initiating deportation.
In a separate incident, the BI also announced the arrest of two South Korean nationals on September 26th as they attempted to extend their tourist visas at the BI head office in Intramuros, Manila.
The two individuals, identified as Lee Wonwoong, 33, and Huh Hwan, 60, were apprehended after routine database checks flagged their derogatory records. Lee is reportedly involved in illegal gambling operations, while Huh is wanted for multiple fraud cases. Both fugitives are currently being held at the BI facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig, awaiting deportation proceedings.
