MANILA -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is closely watching the Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) in the country and expects the police to act on untoward incidents involving its operations, Office of the Press Secretary and Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil said on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.

During a press briefing in Malacañang, Garafil was asked if there’s a directive from Marcos regarding the POGO industry considering the controversies surrounding its operations. 

“Of course, the President is closely monitoring this. And as far as the President is concerned, ang PNP po ang in-charge dito sa usapin na ito,” Garafil said.

The Palace official also welcomed the statement from the Chinese Embassy clarifying that the Philippines was not blacklisted as a destination for Chinese tourists.

According to the embassy, the report of the tourist blacklist is misinformation. 

“Nakita na natin iyong paglilinaw nga ng Chinese Embassy, at nag-post na rin sila ng official statement nila sa kanilang social media accounts. And we share the sentiment of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines that tourism is an important facet to our relationship,” Garafil said.

“And we look forward to continuing with that relationship as we continuously welcome our friends from China, and we anticipate more of them to come in the months and years ahead,” she added.

The Marcos administration sees the tourism industry as a significant income generator for the country as it reopens following the imposition of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic. (PND)