LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – Benguet caretaker congressman and Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Eric Go Yap is pushing for the immediate operation of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) to help the government generate taxes with the depleted government resources due to the fight against the dreaded Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Yap recommended to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) to explore the possibility of work at home arrangement once it will decide to allow the operation of POGOs in the country.
Earlier, PAGCOR ordered the temporary suspension of POGOs and its service providers for the duration of the implementation of the extended Luzonwide enhanced community quarantine to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus.
However, Yap, who was the former chairman of the House Committee on games and amusements, called for the immediate lifting of the suspension primarily to allow the government to generate taxes that could be used to revitalize the country’s economy and depleted resources.
“The suspension of POGO operations should be immediately lifted to give our tax collection efforts a much-needed boost. We need all the help that we can get right now. Hindi makasasama sa atin kung may dagdag tayong makukuhanan ng pera para magamit natin para sa mga kababayan nating nagugutom. Lives are at stake and we need to act fast,” Yap, who now serves as the vice chairman of the House Committee on games and amusements, stressed.
The chairman of the House Committee on appropriations pointed out that the foreign workers are here anyway and like the Filipinos, some of them are also going out to get what they need, they go to groceries, drug stores, restaurants among others and if they are just simply around, why not allow the POGOs to operate.
According to him, if the POGOs cannot do work at home arrangements or stay in, then the same should not be allowed to operate.
PAGCOR stated that the suspension of POGO operations was implemented to ensure safety of all employees and to prevent further spread of the virus by limiting its workers movement.
Yap argued that the POGO operations can still be achieved by being creative and careful and PAGCOR should already come out with guidelines stipulating what are those allowed or disallowed with emphasis on work at home arrangements.
“I honestly believe that the prevailing enhanced community quarantine will not be lifted by April 30, 2020 and there may still be a need for us to support the people in the coming months. Saan tayo kukuha ng pondo, kailangan nating humanap ng paraan para madagdagan ang collection ng taxes, but it should not be at the expense of public health,” Yap said.
He urged PAGCOR to seriously consider the proposal so that there will be something that will jumpstart the tax collection efforts of concerned government agencies considering the heavy impact of the prevailing quarantine to the living condition of the people in the different parts of the country.
By HENT
