Philippines reviews visa-free China scheme over illegal POGO concerns

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs will examine whether the country's visa-free entry scheme for Chinese citizens is being used to restart illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator activity, according to a statement from the Presidential Palace. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro raised the concern with the department, the statement said.

The DFA carried out a series of raids targeting suspected illegal POGO hubs, and 101 foreign nationals were slated for deportation as a result. Among them, 82 are Chinese citizens who came into the country through the visa-free arrangement.

Castro said the department would look into whether the policy was having adverse consequences, in particular whether it was being exploited to facilitate criminal activity in the Philippines.

Although the industry was set up with the goal of turning the Philippines into a hub for licensed offshore gaming, it ended up serving largely as cover for numerous unlawful operations. Criminal activity rose sharply, spanning human trafficking, kidnappings and assorted scams, and in response President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. formally prohibited the POGO industry, with the ban taking effect from January 2027.

As the probe continues, some have pushed for a wider visa-free scheme. One option under review would let Chinese visitors stay without a visa for 14 days and travel past Manila and Cebu, opening direct flights to more airports around the country. Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said last month that she wanted the program to reach beyond its present gateways at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport and Mactan-Cebu International Airport, and she suggested adding entry points such as Clark Freeport Zone, citing a significant increase in arrivals from China in 2026.

The Department of Tourism hopes that wider visa-free access will help the Philippines reach its target of 6.4 million to 6.8 million international visitors in 2026. The country recorded 4.42 million visitors in the first eight months of 2026, a slight increase on the same period a year earlier. China was the fourth-largest source market in that period with more than 300,000 arrivals, about 7% of the total.