Philippines labor department cracks down on foreign workers after POGO raids

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has vowed to tighten its screening of foreigners applying for Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) to work in the country.

This comes in the wake of recent raids against illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which were found to be employing foreign workers without proper documentation or using fraudulent documents.
According to the Philippine News Agency, the country's Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said DOLE frontline staff in regional offices, especially in the National Capital Region, will be conducting more inspections of AEP applications.
Laguesma stated that DOLE is ensuring no qualified Filipino workers are replaced or displaced by the hiring of foreign workers.
The department is also coordinating with other agencies involved in the employment of foreigners, and with gaming regulator PAGCOR regarding inspections of Internet Gaming Licensees (IGLs), the new term for POGOs.
PAGCOR has banned work-from-home schemes for IGL employees, as this was an area where illegal activities were found.
The crackdown on foreign workers without proper documentation is part of the Philippine government's efforts to tighten regulations and prevent abuse in the rapidly growing online gaming industry.

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