Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

Leyte 4th district Rep. Richard Gomez says he is “very happy” with the announcement of President Marcos that Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) are now prohibited in the country, noting that “It’s not a big loss”.

“I’m very happy about it and I was really waiting that the President will announce the banning of POGOs,” Gomez said in an ambush interview after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday afternoon, July 22.

He emphasized that the annual income of POGOs is “very small” compared to the social cost that it brings.

According to Department of Finance (DOF), the total economic benefits from these gambling companies amounts to P166.49 billion every year.

The agency said the government was only getting “less than half” of the economic costs it incurred from allowing POGOs to operate.

“Madaling hanapin ‘yun. Hindi malaking kawalan sa atin yung POGO. Ang malaking kawalan ‘yung namamatay, ‘yung tinotorture o nasasaktan, at saka ‘yung mga nako-corrupt na LGU (local government units) officials,” noted Gomez.

(That amount is easy to find. POGO is not a big loss for us. The big loss is those who die, those who are tortured or hurt, and the the LGU officials who become corrupt.)

“Pag tinignan mo ‘yung mga POGO facility, more than 80 percent na nagtatrabaho don hindi Pilipino, puro banyaga. So, hindi malaking kawalan sa ekonomiya natin ‘yun,” he added.

(If you look at the POGO facilities, more than 80 percent of its employees are not Filipinos, but foreigners. So, it's not a big loss to our economy.)

The actor-turned-lawmaker stressed that President Marcos will find a way to provide replacement jobs for any Filipino who will be displaced by the total ban on POGOs.

In his address before members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, Marcos ordered the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor) to wind down and cease the operation of POGOs by the end of the year.

The President has also ordered the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help look for new jobs for Filipinos affected by the prohibition.