Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian assured on Tuesday (July 23) that the agency is ready to assist Filipino and foreign nationals who will be laid off due to the impending closure of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) in the country by the end of the year.

Secretary Gatchalian made the statement during the 2024 Post-SONA (State of the Nation Address) Discussions on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction in Pasay City.

“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. 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 . Kahit hindi sila mga Filipino, bulnerable at biktima rin sila,” Secretary Gatchalian explained.

In his 3rd SONA on Monday (July 22), President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr, announced in his well-applauded speech that “effective today, all POGOs are banned.” The chief executive also directed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to find ways of giving employment to thousands of Filipinos who will lose their jobs once POGOs cease their operations by December 31, 2024.

According to Secretary Gatchalian, the DSWD and the Department of Justice (DOJ) are running the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking – Tahanan ng Inyong Pag-asa (IACAT-TIP) Center, a multi-purpose building that houses 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,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

For the Filipino displaced workers, the DSWD may provide cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program as well as cash assistance to start their small business under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to help them recover 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,” the DSWD secretary pointed out.

The unemployed Filipino POGO workers may also participate in the SLP of the DSWD, according to the DSWD chief.

“Kung gusto nilang pumasok sa entrepreneurship, sa pagtatayo ng maliit na negosyo, then we can guide them and give them necessary grants,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

Secretary Gatchalian also pointed out that DSWD 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,” the DSWD chief said.

The former POGO building is a six-story building located along Williams Street in Pasay City.

The building now has a child-friendly space, a medical clinic, and a processing area where social workers will be able to conduct intake procedures, profiling, interviews, and assessment of FISS.

A space is also provided for the registration of reached-out individuals to the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys).

“Yung mga families and individuals in street situations  na pinupuntahan namin, na nire-reach out namin, doon na rin namin sila hina-house temporarily bago natin iuwi sa kanilang mga probinsya,” Secretary Gatchalian said.

Secretary Gatchalian also mentioned that the DSWD has indicated its desire to use other shut down POGO hubs to convert it to more shelters for the reached out individuals.

“Kasi alam naman natin na yung mga residential care facilities natin, bagamat may espasyo pa, mas marami nyan, mas maganda. Kasi alam natin na iba’t ibang sektor ang ating inaalagaan at hindi sila pwedeng sama-sama,” the DSWD chief said.#