THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) renewed Friday, September 27, its call to foreign workers employed in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos) industry to make sure they have secured their Alien Employment Permit (AEP).
Dole Secretary Silvestre Bello III said in a statement that it is imperative for foreign workers to secure their AEPs to legalize their stay in the country or else face penalties.
"We reiterate the government’s call to comply with the AEP requirement," said Bello.
"Dole is being watchful," he stressed.
Data from the Bureau of Local Employment showed that for the first half of the year, a total of 51,000 AEPs have already been issued to Pogo workers.
Similarly, it was also found out that some 8,000 foreign workers were working without AEP as of June 2019, with the names of the non-compliant foreign workers already submitted to the Bureau of Immigration.
In a bid to accommodate the expected rush of AEP applicants from the Pogo industry, the Dole recently launched a one-stop shop at its National Capital Region (NCR) office.
Located at the ground floor of the Dole-NCR building in Malate, Manila, the one-stop shop houses the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Professional Regulation Commission counters for the issuance of Taxpayer’s Identification Number and Special Temporary Permit, respectively.
Bello said the one-stop shops will also soon feature the Bureau of Immigration and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.
Similar one-stop shops will soon be established in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Central Visayas, and Davao Region. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)