Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday, July 23 assured that the agency is ready to assist both local and foreign nationals who will be affected by the impending closure of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) operations by year-end.
The DSWD chief made the announcement during the 2024 Post-SONA Discussions on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction.
“Una sa lahat, base sa aming datos, ang karamihang nagtatrabaho o maaaring ma-displace sa mga POGO centers are non-Filipino citizens, although mayroon pa ring mga Filipino (First of all, based on our data, the majority who work or may be displaced in POGO centers are non-Filipino citizens, although there are also Filipinos),” Gatchalian said.
“The non-Filipino citizens, normally, are victims of human trafficking and we have to work with their respective embassies, which we have done in certain cases, doon sa mga illegal POGOs to make sure that they are, first, provided [with assistance]. Kahit hindi sila mga Filipino, bulnerable at biktima rin sila (among the illegal POGOs to make sure that they are, first, provided with assistance. Even if they are not Filipinos, they are also vulnerable and victims),” Gatchalian explained.
President Marcos announced the banning of POGOs in the country during his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 22.
He also directed the Department of Labor and Employment to find ways to provide employment to thousands of Filipinos who will lose their jobs once POGOs cease operations by Dec. 31, 2024.
Gatchalian cited that the DSWD and Department of Justice are jointly operating the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking-Tahanan ng Inyong Pag-asa (IACAT-TIP) Center, a multi-purpose building that provides shelter for victim-survivors of human trafficking.
“We house them there temporarily, work with their governments, so they can go home safely in the fastest possible time,” he said.
For the displaced Filipino workers, he said the DSWD may provide cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program.
Cash assistance may also be provided to enable them to start small businesses under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to help in their recovery from the crisis.
“Kung sakaling ang madi-displace ay mamamayan natin, mayroon tayong AICS. The loss of livelihood is a crisis. It is defined as a crisis so mayroon tayong immediate intervention dyan na social welfare. Ibig sabihin ay ayuda kaagad kasi ayaw natin na mawala ang pagkain nila sa mesa, sa hapag (If the displaced individuals are our citizens, we have the AICS in place. The loss of livelihood constitutes a crisis, necessitating immediate social welfare intervention. This ensures prompt assistance to prevent their food from disappearing from their tables,” Gatchalian said.
“Kung gusto nilang pumasok sa entrepreneurship, sa pagtatayo ng maliit na negosyo, then we can guide them and give them necessary grants (If they want to venture into entrepreneurship, build a small business, then we can guide them and give them the necessary grants through the SLP),” he added.
Gatchalian also pointed out that DSWD has converted a former POGO hub into a shelter for families and individuals in street situations (FISS) who were reached out under the agency’s “Oplan Pag-Abot” program.
“These are big facilities na mala-hotel (like a hotel). What we have to do is retrofit a little and put it to good use,” he said.
The former POGO building is a six-story structure located along Williams Street in Pasay City.
The building now features a child-friendly space, a medical clinic, and a processing area where social workers can conduct intake procedures, profiling, interviews, and assessment of FISS.
A space is also provided for the registration of reached-out individuals into the Philippine Identification System.