Being a Working Expat in the Philippines
Can an Expat work in the Philippines?Although working in the Philippines is not generally the prime reason expats come to the Philippines, there are many expats working in the Philippines under contract to multi-national companies, so obviously, expats can work in the country. However, prior to arrival, an expat’s employer must ensure that they have the correct paperwork.
If you plan to live, or are already living in the Philippines and want to work, having the correct paperwork is essential. Without it you will be unable to obtain legal employment. While it is true that some expats are working in the Philippines ‘on the black,’ in bars and suchlike, not only are these ‘papa-san’ type jobs few and far between, but the pay is usually very low - often little more than free drinks for long hours. Even if you are lucky enough to find such a job, there is always the possibility of someone reporting you, often a disgruntled bar girl or other Filipino employee. This usually results in the unlucky expat, namely you, being unceremoniously kicked out of the country.
The Correct PaperworkIf you plan on working in the Philippines, be aware that the paperwork needed for expat employment in the Philippines is very dependent upon your residential status. If you are in the country on a non-resident visa, e.g. tourist, student visa or extension, an Alien Employment Permit (AEP) must be obtained. To get this, you must lodge an AEP application with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) at the regional office closest to the proposed place of work. For an AEP application to have any chance of success, not only must you be living in the Philippines, but you must be able to validate some specialist skill, knowledge or qualification that you have that makes you stand out from any Filipino candidates in the local job market. Unfortunately, the usual bureaucracy involved in making any application in the Philippines means that that obtaining an AEP is not usually an easy or quick process. This said, happily, things are easier if you have a resident visa. Of the various types of resident visa available, by far the most commonly used is the alien certificate of registration (ACR). Though obtaining this was once a time-consuming and quite expensive process, they are now much easier, quick, and less costly to obtain – especially if you have a Filipino spouse. As an expat with a full residency visa, you can work legally – and of course pay local tax, social security and PhilHealth from your wages. Although these payments are a sore point to many working expats as the laws-that-be appear to disallow any return of money for expats, whether for state pensions, medical bills or even senior citizen discounts! Expat Jobs in the Philippines
As an expat, even if you have gone to the trouble of obtaining the correct paperwork, you must accept that the availability and choice of jobs is rather limited. For one thing, working in the Philippines, unless it is a top managerial job for an international company, salaries an expat can reasonably expect are much lower than for similar employment in western countries – but then again, so is the cost of living in the Philippines.
In areas around Angeles City and Subic, outside of the bars, the most commonly available jobs for expats are as supervisors for small, expat owned businesses, or those operating call centers on the special economic zones. Jobs such as transcribing medical data and suchlike are also relatively popular and quite easy to obtain in these areas.
Although the choice is limited and the pay quite small, many expats find having a local job is a good way to supplement their current pension or investment income - and of course prevent boredom. This said, if you feel confident enough to be working in the Philippines, you could always consider opening your own small business… but in the words of Hammy Hamster, ‘that’s another story.”
About the Author
Tom Henry has been a successful expat for more than three decades and lived in the Philippines since the mid 1990’s. He passes on his experience with tips, advice and needful local information in The Philippines Expat Survival Guide.
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After visiting the Philippines and liking what they see of the expat lifestyle, quite a large percentage of expats eventually make plans to live here for an extended period. Most of these expats arrive with some income source, generally from a pension or savings plan; however, after arrival, many actively look for work. This may be because they find their pension doesn’t quite stretch as far as they expected, or simply because they become bored. For whatever reason, wherever there are large enclaves of expats, such as Angeles City or Subic, there are expats looking for a job.Copyright © 2012. Able Ads Publishing and Media