CEBU CITY — In response to a nationwide directive to ban Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Cebu City's acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia announced plans to form a task force to inspect local business process outsourcing (BPO) centers. The move aims to ensure that these establishments are not operating as online gaming enablers under the guise of call centers.
According to Philippines News Agency, the decision to establish the task force follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s clear stance against POGO operations expressed during his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA). The task force will be comprised of members from the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO), led by Terence Saavedra, and the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), recently headed by the new director, Col. Antonietto Cañete.
"The Cebu City police and the city government will have to work together to check out all legal businesses registered under BPO or Business Process Management (BPM) call centers," Garcia stated in an interview with the Philippine News Agency. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that these businesses strictly adhere to their licensed activities without veering into online gaming operations.
Garcia further detailed that the BPLO and CCPO will define the parameters for the inspections, which will include random checks to verify the legitimacy and compliance of the call centers. "They will randomly check on these BPOs or call centers just to make sure that everything is above board, and they have the license to operate," he explained.
This initiative is part of a broader effort to root out illegal POGO-like activities that are purportedly masquerading as call centers not only in Cebu City but across the region. "There are illegal POGO-like businesses operating in Cebu, not only in Cebu City but also in other areas, disguised as call centers or BPOs. That's why we are looking into those aspects," Garcia added, highlighting the need for stringent monitoring and enforcement to preserve the integrity of the local business environment.