Even if the faucet\u2019s been turned off, the sink is still overflowing. That\u2019s what one real-estate consultant says about the Philippine Offshore Gambling Operators (POGOs), which she expects to continue driving office space demand in the bustling business district of Makati.<\/p>\n
\u201cDespite limited office supply next year accepting POGOs, the offshore gaming sector is still expected to drive office demand but on a slower phase compared to 2019,\u201d said Monique Cornelio-Pronove, chief executive officer of Pronove Tai International Property Consultants in an\u00a0interview<\/strong>\u00a0with Business World.<\/p>\n In the interview, Cornelio-Pronove listed all the factors that could potentially slow down the growth of the POGO industry. What\u2019s telling is that a temporary restriction on new licenses didn\u2019t rank top of the list. \u201cThe main factor of POGOs growth in the office market will always be grounded in the \u2018office supply.\u2019 POGO sector is expected to slow down next year because of the limited available supply in the Bay Area,\u201d she said, referring to the area around Entertainment City.<\/p>\n She did note however that many other factors could affect the size of the industry, including Chinese government influence, potentially higher tax rates, and scrutiny over POGO related criminality.<\/p>\n Forecasting how much office space would be available in 2020, she noted 49 new office buildings will be completed within the year, totaling for 1.14 million square meters. While not all of that will go to POGOs, it will be the driving industry, with information technology and business process management coming in second.<\/p>\n This continuing growth has been a huge topic within government. The Philippines Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development has noted that investigating all of the issues surrounding POGOs will be one of their\u00a0top priorities<\/strong>\u00a0in 2020. Meanwhile, House Representative Joey Salceda has been pushing hard to\u00a0raise taxes<\/strong>\u00a0on the industry, a touchy issue considering so many operators are simply not trying to operate legally, or already delinquent on their tax bills.<\/p>\n