PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday ordered law enforcement agencies to double their efforts in the crackdown against Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) ahead of his year-end deadline.

In a statement following the 2^nd Joint National Peace and Order Council-Regional Peace and Order Councils, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Mr. Marcos directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) to carry out “smaller but multiple operations” against POGOs as his government tries to revoke all their licenses by the end of the month.

He also asked his local chief executives to work with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and run after POGOs in their areas.

“Local government units (LGUs) have the capability to determine suspicious illegal activities in their communities, especially those concerning POGOs,” the PCO statement quoted him as saying.

Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco told a Palace briefing on Wednesday that the government aims to revoke all POGO licenses by December 15.

DILG Secretary Juanito Victo C. Remulla, Jr. told the same briefing that shutting down these operations will not leave a big dent in the country’s economy, saying POGOs only account for 0.25 of 1% of the total gross domestic product.

The President earlier issued an executive order ordering the ban of POGOs due to their links to organized crime such as human trafficking and scamming, following his pronouncement during his third State of the Nation Address in July.

“Suspicious illegal activities, especially those concerning POGOs, should be monitored by the LGUs,” he said at the meeting with his law enforcement agencies.

“The DILG should step up gathering substantial intelligence from local communities.”

Citing Nov. 29 government data, the PCO said 53,700 offshore gaming employment licenses have been canceled, 18 internet gaming licenses (IGLs) voluntarily canceling their licenses and 27 IGLs in the process of winding down operations.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) reported in early December that it has completed profiling almost 28,000 direct workers of POGOs across Metro Manila, Region IV-A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) and Region VII (Central Visayas).

This only accounted for direct IGL workers, excluding indirect workers, which DoLE earlier said, could reach over 30,567 individuals.

The Department of Finance has said the government can forgo about P13 billion in tax and gaming revenues from POGOs when they get banned, saying more investments could come in if crimes linked to these outfits are cut.

Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian earlier told BusinessWorld that the government could replace revenues from POGOs by developing the business process outsourcing industry. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

THE SENATE on late Wednesday approved on second reading a bill that will reorganize the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) into a “full-fledged department” with the aim to streamline the agency’s functions.

Senate Bill No.2878, the “Economy, Planning and Development Act,” which was approved with no objection, will reorganize NEDA into the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) to serve as the government’s primary economic and planning agency.

“This is necessary for the DEPDev to effectively align our economic planning with our policy implementation,” Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, who sponsored Senate Bill No. 2878 and chaired the economic affairs committee, said in a statement on Thursday.

“With this bill, we simply want to institutionalize their expanded functions and equip them with the organizational structure that will support their mandate.”

The DEPDev, whose secretary will serve as the country’s Chief Economist, will also be tasked to formulate the long-term development framework. It will be mandated to draft the Philippine Development Plan Regional Development Plans, and Public Investment Program and Regional Development Investment Program among other reports.

Moreover, the bill reorganizes the NEDA board into the Economic Development Council (ED Council), which will be headed by the Philippine President.

The body will be composed of the executive secretary, secretaries of DEPDev, Budget and Management, Education, Energy, Finance, Health, Trade and Industry, Transportation, and Public Works among other Cabinet members.

The Council will be supported by the following committees: Development Budget Coordination Committee; Economic Development Committee; Investment Coordination Committee; Social Development Committee; Infrastructure Committee; Tariff and Related Matters Committee; National Land Use Committee; and Regional Development Committee.

It will also be required to meet regularly, at the minimum on a quarterly basis, to craft policies that promote economic development and “concerns of national importance.”

It will also continue to form part of the Development Budget Coordination Committee, alongside the Budget and Finance secretaries, as well as the Executive Secretary.

“This reorganization is not just about giving NEDA a new name or status, it’s about recognizing the critical role it plays in shaping our nation’s economic policies and plans are not just well-crafted but also effectively executed,” said Mr. Zubiri, the former Senate president.

In July, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan sought the chamber’s support to establish the DEPDev to strengthen NEDA’s capacities to plan, formulate and recommend policies as well as review and coordinate public investments.

Its counterpart measure, House Bill No. 11199 has been approved at the committee level, pending plenary action. — John Victor D. Ordoñez