The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has approved a Php50 million grant to the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to fund the ongoing deportation of foreign workers employed by illegal offshore gaming operators in the country.
The funding was formalized through a Memorandum of Agreement signed on Monday, June 30, at the PAGCOR Executive Office in Pasay City. The amount will be released in two tranches of Php25 million each.
The first tranche was disbursed during the ceremonial signing.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro H. Tengco said the grant will help cover the repatriation expenses of illegal POGO workers currently held at the BI Warden Facility and Protection Unit.
“These individuals are unable to return to their home countries because they cannot afford a plane ticket,” Mr. Tengco said. “This grant will ensure they receive assistance in accordance with international laws and humanitarian considerations.”
Mr. Tengco emphasized that the grant also underscores PAGCOR’s mission of ensuring a clean, legitimate, and socially responsible gaming industry in the Philippines.
“PAGCOR has been continuously collaborating with the BI in enforcing the government’s ban on offshore gaming operations, following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive last year,” the PAGCOR chief said.
“This inter-agency effort is not just about sending people home; it also ensures that only legitimate gaming operations are allowed in our country,” Mr. Tengco said.
Mr. Tengco also expressed his gratitude to Immigration Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado for the BI’s continued partnership with PAGCOR.
“Since I assumed the leadership of PAGCOR, I have always been open to help and collaborate with our partner agencies,” he said. “We look forward to deepening this collaboration with the BI to help create a safe and progressive place for all Filipinos.”
For his part, Commissioner Viado said that the country faces an increasingly complex security environment that requires a whole-of-government approach to uphold immigration laws.
“Fast-tracking the deportation cases of illegal POGO workers will help ensure a safer community for Filipinos,” he said. “The BI’s partnership with PAGCOR is proof that our national government has the interest of the Filipinos at heart.”
