A number of displaced workers from the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) are discourage from joining the government-led job fairs over salary issues, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Monday, Feb. 3.
DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said some of the POGO workers are seeking job offers that match with what they used to get when they were still working for POGOs.
Laguesma said that while employment opportunities are available, some affected workers remain hesitant to accept entry-level positions, while others continue to hope for the revival of POGO operations.
More than 40,000 Internet Gaming Licensee (IGL) workers were affected by the POGO shutdown, but only a small number attended the recent job fair, where over 100 applicants secured immediate employment.
To assist displaced workers, DOLE has completed profiling all affected IGL employees for job matching and is coordinating with Public Employment Service Offices (PESO) to provide referrals and livelihood assistance.
Laguesma noted that some former POGO workers may have already transitioned to the IT-Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) sector, where employers are actively hiring candidates with relevant skills.
Additional employment support was provided through the 2025 JobStreet Career Con, an online job fair organized by DOLE, which featured over 8,000 job vacancies for 18,000 applicants nationwide.