It was added to the 'blacklist' of foreign tourist attractions in the Philippines and China
The Chinese government has reportedly added the Philippines to its "blacklist" of overseas tourist destinations that its citizens should avoid due to growing concerns about public safety.
According to a report by Inside Asian Gaming, the news was first revealed by Philippine Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri. The 53-year-old source said he believes Beijing has become increasingly concerned about the safety of its citizens while in the archipelago nation following a recent raid on a number of local iGaming companies with Filipino offshore gaming operators (POGO) licenses.
Enhanced restraint:
China reportedly first acknowledged the existence of a "blacklist" of foreign holiday destinations in August 2020, with Cambodia, Australia and Vietnam believed to be among the first countries to enter the country. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a giant country, later claimed these locals were harming the domestic holiday industry by luring athletes to enjoy casinos abroad and promised to impose strict restrictions on those who want to travel to one of the listed jurisdictions.
In terms of the main fee...
"The Philippines is currently on the tourist destination 'blacklist' because we don't know whether tourists will join the POGO business and Chinese people going to the Philippines may be safe from illegal activities by the triad or syndicate running the POGO. They may be mistaken for the POGO business and kidnapped."
Fewer tourists:
Zubiri also chairs the Philippine Senate and reportedly laid out his "blacklist" claim as one of the main reasons for the recent drop in the number of Chinese travelers. However, the office of Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. reportedly responded that it had no knowledge of such exclusion and had "not yet received advice regarding the blacklist issue."
Widespread deportation:
Inside Asian Gaming used a second report to explain that the issue surfaced just before the Philippines announced that it was expelling more than 48,000 foreign workers following the cancellation of its employer's POGO license. The disclosure by the Asian country's immigration department is said to follow several raids in which Chinese people were found to be working illegally.
Last Deadline:
The Immigration Department's Dana Sandoval recently reportedly revealed that foreign employees of iGaming companies whose POGO licenses expired now have 59 days to leave the country. The experienced official also made it clearer that this amounts to "more than 48,000" with those who defy orders by going through the "deportation process."
Sandoval's statement says...
"Obviously it's quite a tedious task, but we're sure we'll see an analysis within a month of which of these numbers have already left the country and which will leave the country. In addition to the departure order, it's part of the normal process of visa cancellation, which costs the government less because the detention of that foreigner is not necessary."