By Matthew Go
Government authorities on Tuesday closed the largest Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) hub in Cavite province, located at Island Cove in Kawit, ahead of the year-end deadline to terminate all POGO operations nationwide.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla led the closure operation, accompanied by personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), and local government officials.
Ron Lim, the outgoing general manager of the 36-hectare property, said it housed 57 buildings and employed 15,000 workers.
The shutdown follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to end all POGO operations by December 31 due to concerns over alleged criminal activities and their economic impact.
Remulla clarified that his family, which previously owned Island Cove as a resort, sold the property in 2018 and was not involved in its operations as a POGO facility.
Local officials confirmed that inspections conducted in late November verified the cessation of activities at the site before its formal closure.
Asked about the property’s future, Lim said, “For now, the management has no plans yet, but we’re open to suggestions, maybe from the government.”
PAOCC proposed converting former Pogo hubs into schools or government buildings once they are turned over to authorities.