On Friday, September 13, Senator Mark Villar assured employees that the Special Class (SC) Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) will not be covered by the POGO ban on December 31, 2024.
During the Friday SCBPO inspection at the ASEANA business park, the Senate Committee Chairman on Games and Amusement assured the 5,000 SCBPO employees that the government will not be imposing the POGO ban on their end.
Villar said that the agencies’ clients are licensed gaming operators abroad, and not included in PAGCOR’s (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) POGO licensee in the country. Moreover, their services are only limited to product marketing and customer relations.
“Sa mga susunod na hearings sa Senado, makaka-asa ang ating SCBPO workers na hindi sila makakasama sa mga ipapasara bago matapos ang taon. Hindi po mawawalan ng trabaho ang ating mga kababayan,” Senator Villar remarked.
The inspection was conducted by authorities, to better understand how the company operates. Also present during the inspection in Parañaque City was Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and PAGCOR Chairman Al Tengco.
“Ginagawa po natin ang inspection na ito upang makita ang operations ng mga SCBPO at maintindihan kung ano ang ka-ibahan nila sa mga POGO na ipapasara natin bago matapos ang taon na ito,” Villar said.
Tengco clarified that SCBPOs have limited operations and do not take bets.
A total ban on POGOs in the country was declared by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during the third State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.
