By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

LABOR EXPERTS urged Philippine policymakers to prioritize investments in productive and sustainable industries, instead of industries with uncertain social and economic impacts, such as the Philippine inland gaming operators (PIGOs).

“Instead of expanding gambling-related industries, the government should focus on productive and sustainable economic activities, such as modernizing agriculture and harnessing artificial intelligence and modern technology to improve farming and productivity,” Federation of Free Workers President Jose Sonny G. Matula told BusinessWorld in a Viber chat over the weekend.

“Strengthening these sectors would provide long-term economic benefits and job opportunities for Filipinos, rather than relying on industries with uncertain social and economic impacts,” he added.

This followed Senate President Francis G. Escudero’s call for a review of PIGOs, also known as local e-gambling businesses, saying that these are also as harmful as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs).

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. ordered a ban on all POGOs, citing their links to illegal activities such as money laundering and financial scams.

The Palace earlier said it is still studying if there is a need to ban PIGOs, noting it has not caused or contributed to crimes in the country.

Around 90% of PIGO employees are also Filipinos, unlike POGOs which employed mostly foreigners. “POGO advertisements result in money flowing out of the country, while PIGO spends its marketing and advertising budget within the Philippines, keeping the funds within the country,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire B. Castro said last week.

University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations Assistant Professor Benjamin B. Velasco, however, said that while PIGOs are not linked to criminal activities like POGOs, a better public policy is to promote agriculture and technology.

“A just transition for PIGO workers can be planned and prepared. PIGO workers can be shifted to other more ethical work in the services sector, like hospitality and tourism,” he told BusinessWorld in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Mr. Velasco noted a ban could have an impact on employment, assuming PIGOs employ thousands of Filipinos. He added its impact on state revenue may not be significant.

“I do know that incentives like reduced corporate taxes and tax exemptions were provided to PIGOs as incentives. So foregone revenues may not be that significant,” he said.

Some analysts have earlier argued that a ban may hurt National Government revenues as well as stocks of listed gaming-related companies, with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. ranking as the third-biggest revenue source last year.

THE Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday said it has re-arrested two Korean fugitives wanted for estafa and fraud in South Korea after their escape on March 4, assisted by three immigration staff.

In a Zoom briefing, Commissioner Joel Anthony M. Viado said they nabbed the two men in Angeles City, Pampanga, at 5:30 a.m. on March 9.

“As evidenced by the CCTV footage we have gathered, the two contractual employees have been terminated right after the escape. We received an update from the Department of Justice (DoJ) that on Friday, Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla released the termination of the third employee involved in this incident,” he said.

The first fugitive, a 28-year-old Korean man, was charged with estafa by a Filipina and nabbed in 2023. During his hearing on March 4, he escaped by leaving the Office of the City Prosecutor of Quezon City with BI personnel and boarded a BI vehicle. 

This prompted the bureau to do an internal “cleansing” to determine any related illicit activities within the bureau personnel.

Both fugitives have been transferred to the BI detention facility in Taguig City under heightened security measures, as they are now classified as high-risk detainees. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

THE Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) launched an investigation to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of a Filipino seafarer, it said on Sunday.

Secretary Hans Leo J. Cacdac said in a statement that under the implementing rules and regulations of the Magna Carta for Seafarers, the DMW must investigate cases of missing, abandoned, or deceased seafarers and inform their next of kin.

The seaman, Ralph Anthony Bobiles, was reported missing on Dec. 5, 2024. He allegedly jumped overboard around three to four days after their Panamanian-flagged ship sailed from Vera Cruz, Mexico, en route to Baltimore, US.

“We received the captain’s report, and we are not satisfied with the report. It was belatedly submitted and basically tells the story of no foul play without adequate proof,” Mr. Cacdac said.

The DMW chief also questioned the ship captain’s failure to conduct a search and rescue operation following Mr. Bobiles’ disappearance. As of now, the seafarer’s body remains missing.

He also ensured the department’s continuous support for Mr. Bobiles’ family in the Philippines.

To shed light on the incident, the DMW has already interviewed 11 out of the 19 crew members aboard the vessel and plans to speak with the remaining eight.

The department is also awaiting a report from Panamanian authorities and has coordinated with diplomatic posts in the US, as well as the ship’s owners. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana