THREE out of four foreign nationals legally working in the Philippines were found to be working in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) sector.

A report by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) showed that 83,764 Alien Employment Permits (AEPs) were issued to Pogo workers in 2019.

The figure is 75.07 percent, or three-fourths, of the 111,583 total AEPs issued to foreign nationals in the country for 2019.

The Dole has established a one-stop shop in the National Capital Region for foreign nationals to enable them to secure AEPs with ease.

Aside from Dole, the one-stop shop also houses the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Bureau of Immigration, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (Pagcor).

Similar one-stop shops are being eyed in other AEP application-rich areas, such as Cagayan Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, and Davao Region.

The Labor department established the one-stop shop after concerns were aired over the influx of foreign workers, mostly Chinese, in the Pogo sector. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)