Employment For An American In The Phillipines.

[Richieboy67]

Hey everyone,

I'm moving to the Philippines in April. I was wondering if there were any opportunities for an American to work in the Philippines. I am a website developer/etc but work can sometimes be slow so any extra income would help.

Thanks

[scott h]

Hi Richie and welcome. You will most like get lots of responses. I am by no means an expert so here is the layman's answer in understandable terms.

 

If you do your website stuff on line at your residence here in the Philippines and get paid into your account online to your bank in the states, no harm no foul. From what I understand there a lot of expats that either make their income or supplement their income that way.

 

If you mean getting an actual job here that's a different story. You might want to look at the Philippine Bureau of Immigration and bureau of labor web sites, there are whole lists of jobs that foreigner's can do with not much problems. Bottom line, these are jobs that can not be filled by locals.

 

Like in the States, if you do find someone here to hire you, you will have to get a work permit and your employer will have to prove that he/she can not fill the position with a local.

 

You don't mention what type of work you would want to do. But if your thinking of a part time job at the electronics store type thing at the local mall, you need to know that wages here are not very high, maybe $8-$15 dollars a day (and that's being generous).

 

If you want some advise that is worth the exact amount that you paid to become a member here on this forum.......FREE :mocking: . Before you actually decide to move here, either have a job lined up or some type of guaranteed income stream, if you don't, stay in the states. This is not the place to be if you have no money.

 

I really don't want to rain on your parade, but lets see what others think :cheersty:

[Papa Carl]

Hi Richie,

 

Depending on where you decide to reside, working from home as a website developer, or SEO specialist etc. is a definite. However in places like Cebu, Manila, Angeles, Bacolod etc. there is ample work in the BPO industry for someone with your talents. Good money can be made in the BPO industry for those with experience and knowledge. Especially if you know codes/encoding etc. And even more so if you have other software abilities.

 

 

Papa Carl

[Thomas]

If you do your website stuff on line at your residence here in the Philippines and get paid into your account online to your bank in the states, no harm no foul. From what I understand there a lot of expats that either make their income or supplement their income that way.

Well. It's a foul, although hard for officials to notice :)   IF hide it enough.

If DOING the work in Philippines, then it's suppoused to be taxed in Phils.

 

BUT I found a very interesting law today, not sure though if it's allowed for foreigners.

Barangay Micro Business Enterprise (BMBE) is a program to try to get more businesses in Phils, hoping they will give work to some more too. It can get EXEMPTION from tax for the OWNER, but pay taxes as usual for employed.

Foreigners can own WHOLE "export" business, which web production to abroad customers can be counted as.

Not sure though if that fullfil the "local" demand part.   The rest I suppouse you have no problem to fulfil, the max allowed value is 3 mill pesos for the assets NOT counting real estate.     

Check the green parts in the Municipaly Hall. If approwed, the exemption need to be registered at BIR too.   You will need work permit, but the rest is much simpler for BMBE, fee is max only 1000p !  The BMBE permit is valid TWO years (normal is only one.)

[Dave Hounddriver]

If DOING the work in Philippines, then it's suppoused to be taxed in Phils.

 

Thomas, if you want to work in a call center here there is a high demand for Swedish speakers.  Its all 'under the table' work so up to you to declare to whatever authority you like.  The difference between what is 'supposed' to happen and real life is HUGE.

 

PS:  I do not know if what these Swedes are doing is legal and its not my business.  I assume it must be as they are quite open about it.  English speakers need not apply.

[Thomas]

 

If DOING the work in Philippines, then it's suppoused to be taxed in Phils.

 

Thomas, if you want to work in a call center here there is a high demand for Swedish speakers.  Its all 'under the table' work so up to you to declare to whatever authority you like.  The difference between what is 'supposed' to happen and real life is HUGE.

 

PS:  I do not know if what these Swedes are doing is legal and its not my business.  I assume it must be as they are quite open about it.  English speakers need not apply.

Well. Yes, I know many FILIPINOS cheat concerning business documents and taxes, although most of them wouldn't need to pay any tax anyway (nothing or very litle, but they would get SSS and PhilHealth...) A big part of worker Filipinos have right to DEDUCTION* because of support burdens, so they wouldn't need to pay anything except part of the social security insurances fees.

 

*Max deduction for that is 150 000 pesos per year. (50 000 self plus 25 000p per dependant up to max 4.) A big part of Filipinos DON'T EARN that. That's MORE than the minimum salary law, which many companies don't bother to follow...

 

BUT FOREIGNERS have been put in custody, jailed or deported for rather small errors, so I don't want to take the risk  - so I hope the lawyer I will ask will tell corect   :)   about the things I don't manage to figuere out myself.

 

One Swede I know, who is in the lead of a Call Center, spend 90 000 pesos to get corect documents, so I suppouse he at least has done all corect enough to manage a control.

 

--

Thank you for the tip, but getting an employment in a CITY is not even reserve for reserve plan  for me   :)   

Except in startup, I aim at doing main part of my work** sitting on my veranda in nice nature, plus take a walk now and then checking everything functions.

 

** Or if I don't get work permit to any of the things I want to do, then I will just finance some "harvest sharing". And put my wife in work   :lol:   (I will need to check proper what things the "Anti-Dummy" law allows.)

[Richieboy67]

Thanks all, appreciate the advice.

I do ok with my work but it fluxuates and something steady to supplement during the off times would help.

I really have no problems supporting myself but I'm just not yet sure what my fiances family will expect from me financially.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Richieboy67

[Dave Hounddriver]

just not yet sure what my fiances family will expect from me financially.

 

They will expect all you are willing to give plus a little bit more.  :hystery:

 

But seriously, some are better than others and I have never given a girl friend's family more than I would give the girl if she just wanted to keep some cash to spend on herself.

[Wrye83]

I really have no problems supporting myself but I'm just not yet sure what my fiances family will expect from me financially.

 

Give them what you can afford and nothing more, if that amount happens to add up to nothing at all then that's their problem, have your fiance go get a job to support them. They have survived their entire lives without you being around for handouts.....they are quite capable of continuing to do so without you.

[Richieboy67]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'll be meeting them for the first time and want to make a good impression and not come across as selfish. Then again I do not want to be an atm. Tough balance to find I think.