The government may actually benefit more from assets seized from illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian said on Tuesday.

During the 2024 Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Discussions, Gatchalian was referring to the seized buildings of POGOs as “by-product” of the government’s effort to pin down illegal operators.

He said the buildings can be repurposed to house government service centers like what they did in Parañaque City.

“The by-product of these are big facilities na mala-hotel. So, all we had to do was to retrofit a little and put it to good use,” Gatchalian said.

According to Gatchalian, the Office of the President has instructed DSWD to convert a building in Parañaque previously run by illegal POGOs.

“Actually the one in Parañaque is now running as our “Pag-abot Center” for people who live in the streets—yung mga families in street situation at yung mga individuals in street situation na pinupuntahan namin, niri-reach out namin, doon na rin namin sila hina-house temporarily bago natin iuwi sa kanilang mga probinsya,” he said.

DSWD now maintains and operates the said facility with plans to make it “more child-friendly,” Gatchalian said.

“We’re actually retrofitting it to make it more child-friendly kasi ‘yung mga nari-reach out natin na mga children sa kalsada, importante rin na mabigyan sila ng child-friendly spaces,” he said. PND