Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman has joined the call to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) in the country, aligning with other economic managers who believe the sector is unnecessary for the Philippines.
The budget secretary is the latest Cabinet member to express disapproval of the POGO hubs in the country. “For the record, I don’t think we need them. Pangandaman started. “We have already made our recommendation, a joint recommendation from the economic managers, and I hope it will be considered,” Pangandaman concluded.
She highlighted that POGOs contribute only a small portion of income, estimated at around P40 to P50 billion.
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan were among the first to voice their opposition to POGOs. In addition to economic managers, several lawmakers have also supported the call to ban these operations in the country.
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who is a cousin of President Marcos, has taken a slightly different stance. Instead of a total ban, he advocates for stricter law enforcement regarding offshore gaming companies.