Cagayan town reeling from POGO ban

BAGUIO CITY ­– The municipality of Santa Ana in Cagayan, where the interactive gaming started in the early 2000s, is severely affected by the government’s decision to shut down Philippine offshore gaming operators.

The ban on POGOs and the closure of internet gaming facilities is expected to pull down the town’s economy, with up to 2,000 jobs and livelihood opportunities lost, according to Mayor Nelson Robinion.

A majority of the workers, including those who have relocated to the town, are facing uncertainties as the job market is having difficulty accommodating them, Robinion said.

Earlier, Malacañang ordered the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), which oversees the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport in Santa Ana, to comply with Executive Order 74, which bans all POGOs.

The CEZA was mandated to revoke all POGO licenses within its jurisdiction and ensure total cessation of operations.

Dindo Danao, former public relations consultant of the CEZA, said the ecozone was Asia’s first regulated jurisdiction for interactive gaming established in 2003.

The CEZA introduced the “i-gaming” to attract foreign investments by licensing offshore gaming operators, making Santa Ana a brand for regulated gaming.

“It was a unique marketing strategy,” Danao said, adding that the CEZA hosted dozens of operators and helped fund the construction of an international airport and a cyber village.

“In 2016, the landscape changed dramatically after the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) launched its POGO framework and offered operators with a more favorable condition,” Danao said.

He said PAGCOR’s centralized system prompted a majority of the companies to relocate, leaving CEZA struggling to retain its market share.

Danao said the closure of POGOs would bring economic difficulties to Santa Ana and its people.

“Once a thriving industry providing jobs in customer service, logistics, security and support roles, POGOs departure left thousands of Santa Ana residents unemployed,” he said.