Protect our communities: No to Pogos and Pigos

Almost all Filipinos know about Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogos) but few are aware of Philippine inland gaming operators (Pigos). We all know that although Pogos are out, there are still small pockets that remain active. In the recent article of professor Randy David (see “Are Pigos any better?” 4/6/25), we are made aware of the existence of Pigos and its rapid growth in our community. He also elucidated its effects on the community since Pigos involve not foreigners but Filipinos.

If the government wants more revenue, why does it have to involve another form of gambling? We have enough legal gambling like the lotto, Bingo, cockfights, horse racing, and casinos. With its experience with Pogos, there was a lot of tax evasion and other crimes related to it, such as money laundering, prostitution, human trafficking, etc. Just improve tax collection and cut down on corruption in government offices with harsh punishments, including expulsion and loss of privileges.

Whose idea was it to start the Pigos? Does she/he not know that a certain sector of our community has an addictive tendency? I am not a psychologist or a sociologist but we know of cases where families are broken; properties, including homes, are lost; and mental illnesses, sometimes leading to suicide, occur due to gambling, both legal and illegal.

With our setup in the Philippines, Pigos will be harder to watch and control since it is online. The government was not able to control Pogos and with this history, I am sure that it cannot control Pigos. Just STOP Pigos. Nip it in the bud.

If the government thinks that Pigos is a good source of revenue, we have to do our part. Start with the family, the community, as well as the church, temple, or mosque to educate people on the evils of gambling. For some people who have no addictive tendencies, some form of gambling, those that are not “high stakes,“ might be applicable as part of their leisure activities.

No to Pigos. No, no, no!