By Cashel Business Services September 17, 2022
With a total population of over 115 million, with 1.77 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) across the globe, Philippines is, in fact, not a small country. It is bigger than Britain, Italy, and even North and South Korea combined.
One common thing Filipinos are known for is being hard workers. Did you know that “Filipino time” and “siesta” are supposed to have a positive connotation? Filipinos either arrive at work early or on time. It is a Filipino value that shows promptness exceeds diligence or as the saying goes “daig ng maagap ang masipag”. Filipino farmers usually are the origin of this saying, they would wake up early, go to work, and finish early. This routine gives them more time to rest in the afternoon or evening and eventually gain more energy for the next day.
These values are just a few of the reasons why Filipinos make good employees. Foreign employers would prefer to hire Filipino talent nowadays, and here’s why.
✔Attitude
Filipinos show a positive attitude towards change. Working in a different country, adapting to the new culture, rules and regulations is undeniably a challenge but Filipinos have a way around it as they can easily adjust to their environment because of their friendly nature.
Filipino chefs enjoying their break time with their fellow foreign workers
Another marked personality of Filipinos is their loyalty. It is uncommon for them to work in a different agency or company for a long time. Once they get hired, staying is the most reasonable decision especially if they feel appreciated and are properly compensated.
✔ Positivity
Filipinos display a positive demeanor around them as they are seen as welcoming and happy individuals. As you may know, Filipinos are always smiling whether they are happy, sad, or angry.
Naturally, we always look at the bright side of the things we go through, and this is just one of the ways Filipinos does to carry on. For them, there is a clear line between their personal situations and doing their job.
✔ Skills and Competency
Known to be the most talented, well-educated, and multilingual individuals, Filipinos are great workers powered up with determination and intent.
The Philippines’ second language is the universal language – English. Although presented with different level of proficiency, all Filipinos can write, speak, and understand English very well. [JS1] According to Businessworld (2021), the Philippines remains to have a high level of English proficiency with a score of 592/800, second to Singapore for the Asian ranking. It is still considered as one of the country’s greatest advantages because it helps them communicate well with foreign individuals and be versed in their job.
Second, Filipinos are easy to train. According to Indino (2019), training a Filipino takes only about 2 months. This saves time and effort for both the employer and the employee, giving more chances for the workers to get longer years of experience.
Third, Filipinos are creative and expressive. They are more than happy to share their talents with the people around them. Either for work or just for fun, they will not hesitate to showcase what they have and what they can do in the field of artistry, putting smiles on the faces of their audience and lighten up the mood of their surroundings.
With these attributes mentioned, Filipinos surely display a competitive profile that makes a top option for foreign employers. They are not only competent with their work, but they are also easy to approach, communicate, and build a relationship with.
This shows the perspective of the hiring employers, but what about the Filipinos? Why do Filipinos choose to work abroad? Especially in these modern times. Here’s some new perspective you need to see about working abroad.
✔ More Recognition and Assistance
Compared to the previous generations, the protection for OFWs is now much better, with additional benefits and other assistance such as special lanes at the airport, hotel accommodations, discounted health cards, and more. They are also considered to be “the modern-day heroes” as they work in an unfamiliar country for the sake of giving a bright future to their family and loved ones. They also help the economy of our country by providing remittances, making our Philippine peso stronger.
They do not only represent our country, but also the values of a Filipino. Their modern heroism and sacrifice are honored by all of us. The challenges they overcome contribute to their success, which is something we should really be proud of as a nation.
✔ Rise of Filipino Communities Abroad
With the growing number of OFWs around the world, it is now common to see a fellow Filipino in a foreign country. Filipino communities abroad started to emerge progressively from one country to another namely in Tokyo, Canada, Australia, Dubai, Singapore, New York, and more. It is a common ground that allows them to feel less lonely as they can have a companion of the same nationality working in an unfamiliar country. Moreover, the internet has also advanced as it allows them to be closer to home virtually, and easily text or call their loved ones in the Philippines.
Aside from going abroad, there’s another way of getting hired internationally while working locally. This is possible due to the rise of online and virtual jobs also known as remote working. Contrary to the previous topics mentioned above, remote working is a modified modern version of working abroad. Your client is based overseas, but you report locally here in the Philippines! Getting the same benefits, having international recognition, and gaining global experience are the success factors in this type of work. Foreign employers virtually hire Filipino workers for the same reasons enumerated in the previous paragraphs.
Opportunities like this are what Cashel Business Services Inc. (CBSI) provides. Looking for talented and experienced Filipinos bound for different parts of the world like Australia and the United Kingdom with, of course, numerous benefits, great work-life balance, free accommodations, and many more.
CBSI helps our fellow Filipinos, especially in the hospitality and customer support industry, to have a job that best suits their credentials and skills whilst prioritizing their wellness. It is the company’s value to put their clients first as this mindset pushes the employee to give a quality output and in order to do so, they have to look out for their health and wellness all the time.
The company takes pride in providing great opportunities to great Filipino talents. Their second batch of hospitality talents just left for the UK and you just might be the next one. Check out their openings here.
Bon voyage, kabayan!
References
Businessworld. (2021). Philippines improves english proficiency score, ranks 18th overall. Retrieved from https://www.bworldonline.com/infographics/2021/11/17/410909/philippines-improves-english-proficiency-score-ranks-18th-overall/
Indino, J. (2019). Reasons Why Foreign Employer Prefer Filipino Workers. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reasons-why-foreign-employer-prefer-filipino-workers-jonathan-indino/
Lasco, G. (2015). PH is not a small country. Retrieved from https://opinion.inquirer.net/84091/ph-is-not-a-small-country
Menguin, J. (n.d). Filipino time: the habit of being on time. Retrieved from https://jefmenguin.com/filipino-time/#:~:text=Filipino%20Time%20is%20the%20habit%20of%20being%20prompt,ang%20masipag%29.%20Ordinary%20Filipinos%20are%20punctual%20and%20prompt.
OFW Guide. (2021). Why Are OFWs Considered As Modern Patriots?. Retrieved from https://www.vistalandinternational.com/blog/Why-Are-OFWs-Considered-As-Modern-Patriots
PinayExpat. (2020). Why many foreigners love hiring filipino workers. Retrieved from https://pinayexpat.com/why-many-foreigners-love-hiring-filipino-workers/
Pinoy OFW. (2015). Overseas Jobs: 8 Common Reasons Why Many Filipinos Want to Work Abroad. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reasons-why-foreign-employer-prefer-filipino-workers-jonathan-indino/
Regala, M. (2017). English as the second language in the Philippine Education System. Retrieved from https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/sunstar-pampanga/20170326/281715499445830