Pinoy workers nix POGO shutdown

Filipino workers in the online gaming industry strongly oppose calls by big business groups to phase out Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators and their service providers.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the group Pinoy sa POGO said business organizations advocating for the closure of POGOs because of alleged "social costs" are "elitists" and "anti-poor."

Karen Santa Cruz, one of the officers of the POGO workers' association, said rich businessmen don't care about the poor who will lose their jobs.

"They've never experienced hunger or lack of money to send their children to school so they don't care about us," she said.

Santa Cruz also said the real "social cost" is massive unemployment if government shuts down POGOs and their service providers that employ thousands of Filipinos as encoders, dealers, housekeeping staff, drivers, cooks, and waiters.

"The worst insult is to deprive us of dignity and cause family separation when we are again forced to seek work abroad," she said.

Misleading statements

The group scored the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Foundation for Economic Freedom, and even the Department of Finance for their allegedly misleading and discriminatory statements dismissing the significant economic contributions of legitimate POGOs and service providers that pay proper taxes and license fees to the government.

Concerned for the welfare of their members, Pinoy sa POGO appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to help Filipino POGO workers.

"May maayos na trabaho po kami, mahal na Pangulo. 'Wag 'nyo po sanang hayaan ang malalaking grupo ng negosyante na sirain ang aming kabuhayan at pamilya ngayong papalapit na ang Pasko [We have well-paying jobs, Mr. President. We are pleading for your help by not allowing big business groups to take away our jobs and ruin the future of our families especially now that Christmas is just around the corner]," Santa Cruz said.

"Aside from the illegal practice of 'endo', many elitist members of these business groups don't even pay their workers and household staff decent salaries and benefits. Yet, they want to take away regular, well-paying jobs of POGO workers. Will they support our families if we're jobless?" she asked.

Pinoy sa POGO also criticized the business groups and some lawmakers for alleged "double standard" in dealing with online gaming.

"Their hearts bleed for Chinese mainlanders who gamble in POGOs but are strangely silent with regard to the proliferation of local text and online gaming scams that lure Filipinos, including the youth, to gamble," Santa Cruz added.