President Rodrigo Duterte says income from POGO operations may be used to fund response to COVID-19. Some clarifications on how gov’t revenues are being spent.
As a gov’t financial institution, @pagcorph is mandated to share 50% of its annual earnings to the national government. Last year, that amounted to P35.92 billion. Part of that earnings came from fees charged into POGOs.
How much revenues were collected from POGOs last year? Pagcor data show P5.7 billion, a decline from P6.12 billion previous year. This is lower than the P8 billion being reported in Senate hearings. Tried reaching out to Pagcor for clarification, but didn’t get an answer. 
Senators have questioned the amount collected from POGO fees vis-a-vis supposedly billions of pesos in tax leaks from their operations here. And for valid reasons.
For context, the P5.7 billion earned from POGO fees is lower than ff: revenues from rice tariffs last year (P12.3 billion), BSP remittances to gov’t in 2018 (P21.48 billion) and additional revenues from higher and new excise taxes this year (P63.2 billion).
The gov’t also can borrow weekly from local creditors through bond offerings where at least P20 billion is raised every time there is a full award.
Point is revenues collected from POGO operations, at least those directly going to gov’t coffers, are negligible.
Point is revenues collected from POGO operations, at least those directly going to gov’t coffers, are negligible.
For full Pagcor gaming data: pagcor.ph/regulatory/pdf…
