POGOs in the Philippines

China has urged the Philippines to ban online gaming to support its crackdown on cross-border gambling, which it said foreign criminals had used to embezzle and launder funds as well as illegally recruit workers.

When Diokno was asked if he thinks online gambling firms were being used as money laundering conduits, he replied "not necessarily".

Benjamin Diokno, who is governor of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and head of the Anti-Money Laundering Council, has ordered the agency and the central bank's financial stability team to "put some sense to this online gambling".

The Philippine gaming regulator has stopped issuing licenses to online gambling firms, and lawmakers and some ministers have called for tighter controls on Chinese visitors, saying many are illegal workers whose presence raises security concerns.

Gambling is officially illegal in China, and Chinese officials know that these firms target the mainland and thus skirt the core of the Chinese gambling ban. This makes it difficult for them to formulate policy on POGOs outside of the binary outcomes of tolerance or closure.

But the rise of the POGOs is also a lesson for the Philippine government and industry on how to not disregard the social effects of large flows of migrant workers, whether for temporary employment or otherwise – especially in sectors such as tourism or construction.

POGOs primarily provide marketing, customer service and IT support for online gambling sites, mainly by hiring Chinese employees. The Philippine government estimates that there are about 130,000 of these imported workers in the country, but the number could easily be twice that. POGOs are primarily located in Manila and Makati. They can be found clustered in large condominium developments, residential subdivisions or re-purposed buildings, and are driven around in dedicated staff vehicles.

Clothing retail, food and other commercial businesses that have benefited from the growing offshore gaming industry in the country are likely to take a hit from the ongoing crackdown on the controversial sector

This developed as property giants assured their investors that their exposure to the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGO) industry is limited and would unlikely have a significant impact on them if regulators suddenly decide to shut down offshore gaming operations in the country.

But this view was too narrow and neglected the political and social dynamics that now drive perceptions of the industry.

When China looks at gambling, it sees mainly social and financial risks. Beijing is averse to people and families losing their savings or falling into debt. It is also likely concerned about the domestic backlash if Chinese workers here become victims of crime and extortion, in much the same way that the treatment of Filipino OFWs can become a national rallying cry.

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Maging mabait sa iyong mga magulang.

Mayroong dalawang matandang mag-asawa, at marami silang anak at puro malalaki na at mayroon ng kanya-kanyang pamilya.

pagkaraan ng maikling panahon ay namatay ang matandang babae, at sa sitwasyong ito ay kinakailangan ng matandang lalaki na tumira sa isa sa kaniyang mga anak upang mayroon siyang kasama at mayroong mag-aalaga sa kanya.

Kinuha siya ng kanyang panganay na anak at pinatira sa kanilang bahay kasama ng kanyang pamilya, at dito sa malaking bahay ng kayang anak ay nagsimula ang kanyang katandaan, lakad ng lakad, ikot ng ikot sa bahay, nagtatanung sa lahat ng bagay atbp…

Dahil dito ay naisipan ng kanyang anak na doon siya ilipat at manatili sa kwarto ng kanilang driver sa gilid ng kanilang bahay, at pinalipat naman ng kwarto ang kanilang driver.

Ang matanda ay hindi nakipagtalo pa, dahil alam niya kung bakit siya ililipat ng kwarto ng kanyang panganay na anak.

Dumaan ang panahon at minsan ay dinadalaw siya ng kanyang anak, isang beses sa isang araw, isang beses sa isang lingo hanggang minsan ay isang beses nalang sa isang buwan,
at bumili din sila ng isang plastic para sa lalagyan ng pagkain para sa matanda upang hindi rin ito mabasag at ang nagbibigay sa kanya ng pagkain ay ang kanilang katulong araw-araw.

Pagkalipas ng maikling panahon ay namatay ang matandang ito,
At pagkatapos ng pagdadalamhati, ay nagtungo ang lalaki na ito sa kwarto ng kanyang ama, upang linisan at ibalik muli dito ang kanilang driver.

Nakita ng lalaki na ito na hawak hawak ng kanyang batang anak ang plastic na kinakainan ng kanyang lolo.

Sabi ng tatay na ito sa kanyang anak: bakit mu hawak hawak ang plastic na yan, ipapatapon na yan sa ating katulong.

ngunit hindi pumayag ang kanyang batang anak at nagsabi: ito ay itatago ko.

Nagtaka ang kanyang tatay at nagsabi: at bakit mo naman itatago yan, luma na yan at anu mapapala mu jan?

Sabi ng kanyang anak: itatago ko po ito para sayo, para kapag ikaw ay matanda na, ay dito kudin ilalagay ang pagkain mo tulad kay lolo…

Agad napaiyak ang lalaki,at halos hindi siya matigil sa ka-iiyak dahil sa kanyang narinig, ngunit huli na ang lahat dahil wala na ang kanyang tatay.

Bilang isang anak ,ay nararapat sa atin na maging mabuti sa ating mga magulang, bigyan natin sila ng oras, ng panahon, pagmamahal at pagpapahalaga.

Maging mabait sa iyong mga magulang.
kapag ang isa sa kanila o kapwa silang dalawa ay umabot sa katandaan sa iyong buhay,huwag magsalita nang walang pag galang, o pagalitan sila,bagkus mangusap sa kanila sa paraang marangal..

- Kung nabasa at nagustuhan mu po ang story ay paki-sahre para mainspire din ang iba. Salamat po.

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