Can Foreigners Work Legally In The Philippines?

Taco · Post by **Taco** » June 20th, 2012, 4:33 am

I've been told foreigners can't work in the Philippines unless they own a business or have an online business, I was just wondering if this true. I was kind of offered a job in the Philippines teaching at a Korean school. However, I'm not sure if I can even work there because I'm a foreigner. Does anyone know if foreigners can get a work permit to work in PI? Thanks.

xiongmao · Post by **xiongmao** » June 20th, 2012, 9:31 am

I'm no expert on the Philippines. The general rule for anywhere on earth though is that if a local can't do the job then a foreigner can do it.

Of course money is everything in the Phillies, so there's always a way round anything.

Having said that, if you're looking for a teaching job, it's better that everything is legit. Otherwise they'll exploit your ass and you'll not be able to complain to anyone.

Post by **Winston** » June 20th, 2012, 9:36 am

Why don't you ask that school?

Legally, you do need a work visa to work at a job in the Philippines. However, it's very easy for them to hire you as an underground unofficial employee and not report it to the government. Many companies do that and just bribe the officials if they get caught.

Hardly anything official is ever enforced, unless someone wants a bribe. Bribes in the Philippines let you get away with anything, including committing crimes.

Laws don't matter. Only money does.

You'd have to talk to the school that's offering you a job, as to how they want to arrange this issue.

Taco · Post by **Taco** » June 21st, 2012, 4:35 am

Winston wrote:Why don't you ask that school?

Legally, you do need a work visa to work at a job in the Philippines. However, it's very easy for them to hire you as an underground unofficial employee and not report it to the government. Many companies do that and just bribe the officials if they get caught.

Hardly anything official is ever enforced, unless someone wants a bribe. Bribes in the Philippines let you get away with anything, including committing crimes.

Laws don't matter. Only money does.

You'd have to talk to the school that's offering you a job, as to how they want to arrange this issue.

Actually, I already did ask the school, they said they would look into the subject of "work visas" for me. I already know they have foreigners working there with no work visa, school management just looks the other way. Once again, honesty is interpreted differently in Asia.

ladislav · Post by **ladislav** » June 21st, 2012, 7:33 pm

Yes you can, the work permit takes 6 weeks and the company pays $400-1200 or so for it. Then you will be paying taxes on your income. Most jobs at most schools will be paying you about $1000 a month minus tax.
Why not teach online? You will make more than that. Salaries in the Philippines suck!
I mean there is work at call centers, Korean schools, etc. If you look hard enough you will find something. But they pay shite! And why would you need to travel to work through the traffic and be treated like a serf by rude, barking Korean owners who consider you subhuman and work you to death? All to get $800 a month after tax?
After having worked for Koreans before, I am now convinced that bombing Hiroshima was a big miss. A few hundred miles North West would have been just the right place for that bomb to fall.
To Korean members on this board- present company excluded.

Taco · Post by **Taco** » June 22nd, 2012, 1:40 am

ladislav wrote:Yes you can, the work permit takes 6 weeks and the company pays $400-1200 or so for it. Then you will be paying taxes on your income. Most jobs at most schools will be paying you about $1000 a month minus tax.
Why not teach online? You will make more than that. Salaries in the Philippines suck!
I mean there is work at call centers, Korean schools, etc. If you look hard enough you will find something. But they pay shite! And why would you need to travel to work through the traffic and be treated like a serf by rude, barking Korean owners who consider you subhuman and work you to death? All to get $800 a month after tax?
After having worked for Koreans before, I am now convinced that bombing Hiroshima was a big miss. A few hundred miles North West would have been just the right place for that bomb to fall.
To Korean members on this board- present company excluded.

Thanks Ladislav.

I'd like to teach online too but I don't know a dam thing about it. I don't know where to look to find an online teaching job or what lesson manuals I need, how to get students etc... Any advice you can give me will be greatly appreciated.

Shattered65 · Post by **Shattered65** » April 9th, 2013, 8:32 am

Actually it's all about what Visa you can get. In the case of most jobs their that will pay western sized wages then they will have to sponsor your visa and prove that a local cant do the job. You cant own a business there unless it's a big corporation and if you can afford that then you ain't here because your rich enough that you PA does that shit for you. most guys there are either teaching english for peanuts or working on-line or their wives or girlfriends own the business they run, because a foreigner cant own the business. You cant own property either you can buy a condo as long as the complex has less than 40% foreign ownership or your other option is to get a 50 year lease on land with an option to extend for a further 25 years then you can build on the rented land.