Filipino labour force not up to par: Philippines ready to host foreign workers

The Philippines’ Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is reportedly considering opening the country to foreign workers. A list of occupations for which there is a “shortage” of local people qualified to fill has been released by the DOLE…

Architect
Chemical Engineer
Chemist
Environmental Planner
Fisheries Technologist
Geologist – Geophysicist, petrogeochemist, petrophysicist, micropaleontologist, engineering geologist
Guidance Counselor
Librarian (licensed)
Medical Technologist
Sanitary Engineer
Computer Numerical Control Machinist
Assembly Technician (Servo-actuator/ Valve)
Test Technician
Pilot
Aircraft Mechanic

According to Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, it may be time “to liberalize the labor market and allow entry of foreign workers with the required skills so we can fill up those hard to fill occupations due to shortage.”

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The DOLE chief explained that an occupation can be considered to be experiencing shortage when there is a high demand for the position but there are very few applicants, or when there are few qualified applicants compared to the number of available jobs.

“This is common in occupations which are numerically small within the total workforce, but the function is central to company operations such as pilot and geologist,” Baldoz said.

“Since there is a shortage, these occupations can be opened potentially to foreign skilled workers,” she added.

Talent sinkhole: 'Outsourcing' firms suck in the Philippines' best and brightest.

Talent sinkhole: ‘Outsourcing’ firms suck in the Philippines’ best and brightest.

All this, amazingly, in a country burdened by a severely-idled workforce and a population of 100 million largely dependent on foreign remittances to prop up more than 10 percent of its economy. But then is it really just a matter of employing the vast pool of unemployed Filipinos sitting around drinking beer in the nation’s corner stores?

Not really.

Most of the jobs in the DOLE list are jobs that require highly-skilled professionals that require huge sums of money to educate in the STEM fields (i.e. science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). As such, in a country renowned for its pwede-na-yan philosophy, skills, are not a bright feature of the local labour force. Those who do possess such marketable skills are sucked up by the overseas labour market where these professionals are more highly-valued, as measured by the big salaries awaiting them there.

And whatever talented graduates the few good universities in the Philippines turn out who are willing to stay in the country are soaked up by the nation’s growing carpet of call centre and ‘business process outsourcing’ (BPO) firms which dangle offers they simply can’t refuse. Suffice to say, an immense pool of talented Filipino graduates who could’ve gone on to invent that longer-lasting light bulb and make billions for the Philippine economy are now languishing in little cubicles talking to whiny Australians about the latest iPhone plan in exchange for enough money to fund their latte and smartphone habits.

So tough luck. Commies like Elmer “Bong” Labog, chairperson of the leftist group Kilusang Mayo Uno (May 1 Movement) can stomp around all they want crying bloody murder over alien workers “stealing” jobs from the hapless Filipino. There are deeper causes for the chronic idleness that has characterised Philippine labour for decades that simply cannot be solved by the idiotic notion of “creating jobs”.

[Photo courtesy PlanetPhilippines.com.]

65 Replies to “Filipino labour force not up to par: Philippines ready to host foreign workers”

  1. Many years back, as an engineer working for a large japanese electronics in the Philippines, I chose not to leave the Philippines. Well that was the idealistic me. It was all shattered to pieces when back during those days, electronics and semiconductor industries suddenly found themselves on shaky ground and I woke up one morning to find myself unemployed, even with job seeking months before. I couldn’t even get myself hired as a mall manager because I didn’t have the “right experience” even with me highlighting how I can be an asset in the said position, and so it became clear how twisted getting into a mid level job in the Philippines is. Overseas work was the logical choice for guys my age and experience.

    In the end, I had to accept defeat and be employed as an OFW because my ideals wouldn’t feed my newly started family.

    DOLE just don’t get it why. We actually have those filipino professionals/specialists but they are working/living abroad. That makes the idea of having foreign workers in those areas even laughable. Would foreigners even want those jobs in the Philippines? I really cannot understand why we have clueless people assigned to DOLE.

  2. Innovation creates jobs, and in the absence of home-grown talent, any external help should be utilised, particularly in the sunrise sectors.
    That is assuming there would be any demand from overseas, where such people are already highly prized and highly paid.

    The strategic issue is to create, and retain, locally.
    India had a similar problem where only 5% of those who studied abroad for science % technology degrees returned to india. In recent years they have not only reversed that trend but are becoming a rising star in technology and research related fields with the accompanying benefit of new higher value/paid jobs.

    Initiatives which could be explored include:

    Internships, apprenticeships, scholarships

    Vocational training

    Centres of excellence

    Overseas lecturers/professors

    Collaborative ventures

    Think tanks

    I suspect the situation is not aided by having low quality decision-makers/bureaucrats who themselves cannot think strategically or creatively.

    And unless BPO’s can move up the value chain from high volume, low margin call processing to knowledge based analytics etc then another opportunity will be lost to fleet footed competitors abroad.

  3. This feels like a bit of good news to me. Means companies are growing or new ones are being put up. But some of the positions in the list puzzle me. Guidance counsellor, Librarian and Sanitary Engineers? We lack janitors? Really? Everyone in Phils. want office jobs now?

  4. I am British, and moved to the Philippines from Hong Kong in May 2001, with a Filipina I met there. After my divorce was finalised, we married in June 2002 and I obtained 13A Visa in November of that year. I was Engineering Manager – Asia Pacific, earning US$85,000pa, but effectively retired early in Cebu Philippines.

    I was obtaining good income from Peso Time Deposits in Rural Banks. That is until the Monetary Board closed all 12 Banks of the Legacy Group in December 2008. It took the PDIC from 6 months to 22 months to pay out the Insured Deposits in 5 x Rural Banks.

    I invested in a local company, that was supposedly importing Chinese motorcycles (Zongshen) assembling them and supposedly selling via a growing chain of shops to market, sell, service and support with spares (as well as Appliances).

    We filled a ‘Syndicated Estafa’ Court Case against Catherine L. Soronio in May 2008. She no doubt used the funds (up to Php350M allegedly?) we (the investors) had given for the motorcycles, for some other purpose. No doubt including paying for Lawyers to get the cases down turned from Syndicated Estafa – twice! Just delay, delay delay (which would not have happened if she was in Jail as Syndicated Estafa is non-bailable) – no real progress to getting our money back nearly 5 years later!

    I applied for a Job in a Call Center in Cebu (Sykes), and was told I had passed, but because a Foreigner needed clearance from Head Office. No Offer Letter was forthcoming.

    So I sought work as a Native English Speaker – ESL Teacher. Full time work as such is difficult to find, apart from seasonal Winter and Summer ‘English Camps’ to Korean students and the like.

    I can earn more money, for less hours, as an Native ESL Teacher in China, and indeed, I am on my 2nd year of teaching there.

    I would prefer to earn a decent salary, in the Philippines, as a Permanent Resident, making use of 35 years experience as an Engineering Professional (IEng MIEEIE).

    Alternatively the Legal System of the Philippines, not be so corrupt and slow and get back some Php10M I lost to local ventures!

    1. And this just illustrates how foreign workers will receive even LESS protection under Philippine law. How does the DOLE expect to attract foreign workers under these conditions?

      1. Even if they try to sugacoat everything else, that won’t stand a chance unless someone is dumb enough to bite the bait.

        The only thing that laws protect around here are the ones that can pay the law to protect them. Those that can’t pay are relegated.

        Speaking of that…anyone read this? http://www.heritage.org/index/country/philippines

        Perfect description of our Rule of Law…

        “Corruption and cronyism are rife in business and government, with a few dozen leading families holding an outsized share of wealth and political power. Judicial independence has traditionally been strong, but the rule of law is generally weak. A culture of impunity, stemming in part from a case backlog in the judicial system, hampers the fight against corruption. Delays and uncertainty negatively affect property rights.”

    2. Do you want to teach Russians/Chinese online?

      You can make USD 2K a month online.

      Give me an email to send info. to, if so, please.

  5. Good news? Please! This is ludicrous!

    In 1986, Cory Aquino presided over the passage of a constitution that effectively bars the easy entrance of foreign direct direct investment into the Philippines. Then proceeds to craft an onerous regulatory framework that prevents locals from easily starting new businesses and limits market participation to the established oligarchy. Those companies that remain open are eventually taxed to death and local entrepreneurs are unable to turn a profit unless they participate in the black market.

    Instead of encouraging innovation or fostering a competitive business climate, the Philippine government tells “heroic” professionals (like joeld) to become part of a ballooning immigrant community that sends remittances to prop up the economy. At home, instead of encouraging the growth of an investment friendly business environment, the Ramos administration creates special economic zones to bypass the labyrinth of local business regulations. Why no administration has ever come to the conclusion that the local business climate would be vastly improved by the same deregulation is beyond me.

    And now the DOLE laments the fact that there aren’t enough workers with technical expertise in the country? It’s absurd!

  6. When I saw this on the news, I was shocked as well. To my mind, aside from a large nuber of talented and educated Filipinos languishing in call centers, there are many more holding professional jobs abroad. Indeed, many Filipino teachers, nurses, doctors, scientists now reside abroad. The song “walang natira” by gloc9 and sheng belmonte immediately comes to mind. Haha

  7. “Oligarchy is the politics of wealth defense by materially endowed actors.”
    Jeffrey winters

    The 20 or so families which control the political agenda, economic direction/progress, and social culture through the media have only one objective – grow the pie but make sure others only have the crumbs – and avoid direct foreign competition at all costs.

    Economic liberalisation, and inclusive growth cannot occur under the current system, and the political will is to ensure that the status quo is maintained whilst hypocritically preaching change/reform.

    A country run by a criminal elite, greedy politicians, and incompetent bureaucrats has no desire to be exposed or challenged.

    Poverty has actually got worse over the past 3 years. No other fact is needed to demonstrate that something stinks in the whole distasteful and disgraceful oligarch funded pnoy aquino administration.

    ‘go west young man, go west’

  8. I’ll re-post this from a comment I made on the same story from ANC…

    “This comment is for the multitude of people who will be against this “possible” adjustment in the law… Oh! So its OK for you guys to go to the US (my home country) and work but its not OK to allow that same courtesy here in the Philippines? As a ‘foreigner’ who possess skills and experience very few Filipinos have, I am all for this policy.”

    That being said, this policy shows the lack of forethought in the Philippine Education System. Who would have thought that a country can NOT survive producing only Lawyers, Doctors and Nurses.

    1. No one should have any illusions that a trade war — in either goods or services — is the best way to conduct foreign policy. It’s not even sound economic policy.

      We should also be aware that the United States is not unfamiliar with protectionist policies. Early in the 20th century, President Hoover passed the “Buy American Act.” America’s trading partners retaliated and US exports dropped by 64 percent. Unemployment rose above 20 percent. The last two US presidents enacted their own protectionist policies. Pres. George W. Bush raised tariffs on imported steel. Pres. Obama included a “Buy American” clause in his economic stimulus package.

      1. @Johnny
        We’re (per the article) not talking about Marco Economic Trade Policies are we. We’re talking about jobs. However, the so-called “protectionist policies” of the US notwithstanding; we have and still do open our domestic job market to qualified foreigners in order to fill positions that otherwise would remain vacant due to a limited pool. The Information Technology sector (in the US) has benefited greatly from this.It should be noted that this policy has not, for the most part, met any resistance from the US population in general. Our belief is simple; if you have a needed skill and are able to enter and work in the United States LEGALLY, then come on over. Again, we’re NOT talking about major trade issues… Just jobs… With all due respect Johnny, I am sure you have more than a few relatives working in the US and/or Canada who obtained employment by this policy.

        1. Jetlag807,

          As I stated in my other posts, the problem here has always been poor policy planning by the Philippine government whether it be on a macro level or job creation. The shortage of skilled labour decried by the DOLE is a direct, if unintended, consequence of those policies.

          I’m a firm believer that we benefit more from free trade, whether in goods or services. I have no problem with foreign companies or workers setting up shop legally in the Philippines. And any moves by either the US or the Philippines that create even the perception of protectionism makes our trading partners wary. Especially for the US with its various commitments to world trade. Even diluted, protectionism is poison. With free trade, it’s almost always a win-win situation; it makes everyone richer especially when we can focus on what we do best.

  9. ok so they are opening up to skilled foreign workers. and if the hiring companies can give these expats huge amount of salaries (plus allowances to boot), why can’t these companies give the same value to an equally-skilled Filipino professional so the Filipino doesn’t have to leave for overseas?

    1. The people form DOLE do not have a clue why a company would prefer hiring a relatively young, inexperienced (3 years work experience to me is “inexperienced” in my field of discipline) guy against an OFW proven old chap.

  10. The thing is, filipino professionals are up to par, and yes, they exist, and there is no shortage of such professionals.

    The question is, could the Philippines even make it worth their time? Well, if they could, then these professionals would still be in the Philippines.

    1. Last time I saw one, he told me he was just taking a vacation here and he’ll be back in Australia in a few weeks to go back to work. I asked him if he plans on staying here, and he told me no..actually hell no.

      The smarter ones who were able to get out of this country were better off.

  11. The cost of a western manager level expat in singapore is close to 500,000 us$ per annum. ( 20+ million pesos)
    Salary plus 20% overseas uplift
    Taxes/overheads
    Accomodation
    Car
    Childrens private schoolings
    Return flights home
    Miscell. expenses.

    filipinos are not up to this level of capability, otherwise they would be rapidly employed at high level in singapore with significant cost savings.

    1. am sure the job offers from mckinseys and j p morgan israel will be flooding in. karaoke at corporate events. a new career beckons.
      shalom

    2. So can the x-factor winner be an aircraft technician? Or at least at the same LEVEL to complete globally?

      Talk about twisted minds….

    3. *facepalms*

      Look, if you’re gonna join in the comments here, make your post at least an intelligent post not something that’s not related to the topic here.

      Besides, your post fails the So What? question.

  12. Question, regarding this supposed “shortage”, is it for government related jobs or does it reflect as well with private enterprise?

    I am just curious where the shortage supposedly is.

    1. I think this means both government and private sector. The problem with having those highly technical skills is that most of them are being groomed for working abroad and not locally.

      1. This government doesn’t hire people with technical know-how or we would have had a contractor for the MRT maintenance by now. Instead they fill technical positions with…lawyers.

        1. Well that’s the problem..they solve problems with another problem. No wonder the holes sink in even deeper and I could not fathom how deep the problem has been.

        2. In a speech to the IBP last year, Budget Secretary Butch Abad said it was government’s “technical deficiency” that was to blame as to why our infra projects are stalled. He admitted we don’t have the local expertise in these areas. (So it’s not something new; they actually acknowledge that the bureaucracy is populated with incompetents.)

          That’s a lame excuse for failure. We have local experts in transportation and communications. But the way the Aquino government handles its projects makes you think they simply do not trust what is homegrown.

  13. I once thought it would be a good idea to remove those limits on professional jobs. But under today’s context, it seems off. Seems to me jobs are actually the ones lacking. As in, jobs that pay enough. They say workers with skills are lacking, probably because they’re all going abroad where they get that sufficient pay.

    1. There is a lot mismatch with what the employers require for their prospect employees. That’s where training goes in, the problem is the cost now I know there is TESDA but sometimes even having that isn’t enough especially with IT courses that need more in-depth training and development.

      Jobs may seem to be the ones lacking but there’s a lot more jobseekers compared to jobs..I’ve been through a lot of job fairs back then..red tape still seems to exist since there are some who have been hired on the spot because of someone’s recommendation.

      One of the things I got really mad about back then was when my batch graduated in ’08, that’s the time they included Cisco, Microsoft and even a few TESDA subjects in which I never had those back in ’04…I was like wow..thanks for the bs. Now I’m stuck with a dead-end job in that same sinkhole that was mentioned in the article and I’m trying to save up just to pay for the expensive training.

      1. Well, I do not know how the government plans to give jobs to the next batch of graduates this coming March, or do they even care?

        1. They don’t care. The irony of this was during my graduation..one of the speakers was a well-known congressman in the south. And he said in a depressing voice that as much as he’d like to congratulate us for graduating he’s saying a lot of negatives with regards to the job market..and our batch suffered that.

          When I took up freelance, that was me saying F U to the system. Anyway, it’s all behind me now..

    2. Chino,

      That’s exactly the kind of populist thinking that got us into this mess in the first place. The conventional wisdom was that local industries need to be protected. The unintended consequence of this policy was that our trading partners bypassed Philippine businesses and invested in our neighbors. Malacañang celebrates the forecast of up to US$4 billion in FDI over the coming year. Meanwhile up to US$80 billion has been invested in Vietnam. It has meant fewer business opportunities at home and consequently fewer (higher paying) jobs. And even fewer opportunities to develop local industries. With no jobs available the consequence was a boom in immigrant workers. And the resulting brain drain.

      This is why the Aquino administration’s response to the problem is utterly wrong. It doesn’t address the actual cause of the problem. What are they thinking? Protectionism and a business climate with poor competitiveness destroyed those jobs. And yet the Aquino government wants more of the same.

  14. Another half-baked baked plan to provide damage control over the country’s brain drain problem. DOLE should come to their senses and demand the lawmakers up at the government to revise labor and business regulations to be more open and competitive. That’s what every self aware nation in Southeast Asia is doing nowadays and look at them now. Nope, all this would shake up the crooked oligarchs too much from their lofty mansions and those same people also run the country. As things are now, it’s a hopeless case.

  15. I doubt that foreign workers would like to work here, unless there’d be some kind of an increase with the payment scale, the bs requirements that everyone has to take imagine them lining up for a freaking NBI clearance at 1:00 AM anyway I just don’t see it.

    Filipinos leave for abroad because it’s obvious, you can’t live and support a family with minimum wage with all those gimmicks they call bills, taxes, and all the other things you need to make it through the day.

    I applaud those who chose to stay behind but eventually they are also thinking of getting out unless of course they are making than most of the majority here who can ‘barely’ make it.

      1. Well that would depend though for as long as the crappy system(that protectionist thing going on) here remains the same we can’t really expect them to be here.

    1. You can be sure that the Philippines would attract foreign workers when they open the floodgates..just not from Western countries.

      We’ll be seeing a lot of Africans like Kenyans and Nigerians as well as Indians who will use the Philippines as a stepping stone to gain experience to get employment in other countries (Singapore, Malaysia, UK, Australia, etc).

      1. Most likely. I’ve been seeing a lot of them here studying in schools, marrying into the populace but some of them have been involved with illegal activities which has been documented over the years.

        Yes..that’s the same thing that is happening in Singapore..people are just using the PR status or even the citizenship to get ahead and move on to bigger pastures. It is no wonder why the locals there call the foreigners “FT or foreign trash” instead of Foreign Talent that their government calls.

        The difference with that place and here though is they are a progressive nation unlike here where growth has stagnated for decades now.

  16. Hey, it works both ways- 10 million Filipinos ” stealing” jobs from natives of other countries; time to pay the piper and let some “banyaga” “steal” Filipino jobs, too.

    In all fairness, most Filipinos treat foreign workers very well and are happy foreigners work there. But salaries are still small by Western standards. Even those big ones for foreigners. And work permits are expensive.

    1. As I am Permanent Resident with a 13A Visa and an ACR I-Card, I am exempt from having to obtain an AEP (Alien Employment Permit). Hopwever shoud l be offered Full Time employment on a permanent basis, I would need an ‘Employment Certificate’, I understand.

      I applied for a Job with ‘Sykes’ (Call Center) and the take home pay for the 1st 6 months would only have been Php17K.

      To ‘Westerners’ this sounds pretty low, as under USD500 per month. But that figure is after Income Tax, SSS (Pension), and Pagibig deductions.

      Other Call Centers, such as ‘Convergys’ for example, can’t/won’t give a take home figure as high as that quoited by Sykes.

      I was never given any explanation as to why Sykes Head Office did not approve the hiring of a Foreigner (with a 13A and exempt the need top obtain an AEP) but I never received the promised ‘Offer Letter’?

      Actually I am glad I didn’t receive it as I picked up 5 weeks work as a Native English Speaker for a Winter English Camp to Koreans and a few Russians. I was told it would pay Php32K per month, but they only paid Php30K for 5 weeks work of 8 x 45 min Classes per day, 5 days per week.
      So that’s 200 Classes of 45 minutes = 150 hours for Php30,000 = Php200 per hour!

      http://www.bles.dole.gov.ph/PUBLICATIONS/Current%20Labor%20Statistics/STATISTICAL%20TABLES/PDF/tab24.pdf

      TABLE 24 REGION VI – WESTERN VISAYAS
      Minimum Wage Rates
      (Effective December 7, 2012)
      Non – Agriculture Php327.00

      Php200/hour is less than the minimum wage for Cebu, it seems!

      That is why I took a 12 month Contract, as a Native English ESL Teacher in China. This is 16 lessons of 45 minutes per week and 20 weeks per Term and 2 Terms over 12 month Contract paying CNY5,000 per month or CNY60,000 (or Php438,000) about US$10,000.

      Adain not much by USA wage standards but I get free fully furnished 68 sq m apartment to myself, on-campus accommodation, with free electricity, Internet, telephone, water , drinking water. Plus CNY500 ‘load’ every 5 weeks 1/4 term, to a Canteen Card. This ‘card’ can also be used to buy fresh fruit, rice, washing powder, toiletries etc, from shops on-campus. We also seem to get paid ‘extra’ payments not listed in the Contact, such as CNY800 as travel expenses every 2 months. Pre-paid cards to local department stores at National Holidays. Gifts of cash for National Teachers Day and Moon Cakes for example. The contract lists CNY6,000 at the start and the end, for Travel and CNY2,200 in the middle (of which I have received half now, before the Chinese New Year, and will get the other half on return for the next Term, starting February 22nd. I will also receive CNY800 as gift for Spring Festival (also not listed in the Contract).

      So don’t worry, it is extremely unlikely any company in Cebu, will offer me a job that makes use of my 35 years as a Professional Engineer, and pay more than I can get in China, for speaking English! Apart from not offering appealing Terms & Conditions as well as wages, I notice a lot of adverts suggesting anyone over 35 might not be considered!

      I turn age 59 in April, still some 7 years ftom UK State Pension as I was born 2 weeks to late, to still get a UK Pension at age 65! What is more if planned changes to the State pension go ahead, and increase NI Contributions up from 30 Years to 35 years, I would only get 80% Full UK State Pension @ age 65 (unless I obtain 5 more qualifying years of NI Contributions/Credits.

      So there is another reason I wont be taking skilled Engineering Job here in the Philippines at age 50 – need to pay Voluntary Class 3 NI Contributions for 5 years (potentially)?

      Little chance of getting a job paying higher than this, at age 59 also, here in Cebu at least it seems.

      I doubt if many Foreigners would be willing to work for USD1,000 per month or less, skilled work or not?

      There may be a shortage of skilled Pilippinos in certain jobs, but that listed Minimum Wage of Php327 (per hour) x 40 x 4 = Php52,320 may not attract many Foreigners with such skills either?

      Deduct Income Tax, SSS and Pagibig and it will be what Php28,000 take home pay, then there is accommodation to pay and transportation costs and meals.

      it would not match the CNY60,000 pa I currently enjoy from working in China and that is virtually all ‘savings’.

        1. @ Zorak
          “David, the minimum wage is 327 per day not per hour. It’s actually far worse than what you thought.”

          Yeh, my step-daughter said that would be the daily rate, not hourly (that most countries quote minimum wage in)!

          UK National minimum wage
          The rates below apply from 1 October 2013 and are likely to change again on 1 October 2014

          Category of worker Hourly rate (1 Oct 2013)
          Aged 21 and above £6.31

          GBP6.31 = PHP465.45

  17. Two more fields not mentioned:

    1) Native English teachers. Yes, call centers need native trainers and most native speakers who looked for work in the PH, found jobs. There are even classes to be given at regular companies on how to speak proper English. Salaries for native speakers are in the Php 35-50K per month.
    2) Foreign language specialists- call centers and other companies look for natives in Spanish, Russian, Malay, etc. They pay Php 60-70K.

  18. It is a shame that the extremely nationalistic, dictatorial Communist China, Communist Vietnam and even fanatically hermit-like Saudi Arabia have doors wide open to foreign investors and foreign workers.

    And a highly cosmopolitan PH does not.

  19. A country that exports the brains of its own, that would be needed for its development; is now opening its door to replenish what is lost.

    Skilled and talented foreign workers from other countries; usually go to the: U.S., Canada, European counties,Middle Eastern countries, etc…where the exchange rate or pay is higher. These high skilled professionals are offered: perks, immediate citizenship, bonuses, housings,etc…even yearly paid vacations…

    I am sure they will not work in a country with backward technology.

    Something wrong with the way we educate people. Programs from the Department of Education do not respond to the needs for the development of the country. And skilled/educated people departs to developed/industrialized countries, as soon as they get enough experience.

  20. No person with any self respect would even work at either of these 2 jobs: Assembly Technician (Servo-actuator/ Valve)
    Test Technician for less than $30.00/hour. Today, Jan. 16, 2014 that is P1352/hr. Good luck finding anyone to come here and fill those jobs.

  21. In my last job as a heavy truck mechanic in America I felt I was underpaid at $35.00/hr. in 1998. Now I would be earning at least $50.00/hr. or would be looking for a proper job where my skills were appreciated and compensated for.

  22. This is one of the stupidest and most insensitive articles I’ve ever read on getrealphilippines and one of the stupidest and most insensitive moves by DOLE. The reason we don’t have any of these graduates is not due to any innate “incompetence” on the part of Filipino workers – but a government that refuses to invest in the education of our youth, in agrarian reform and industries that create real, sustainable, and decent-paying jobs.

    It’s due to an economy dependent on the export of cheap labour and jobless growth. An economy where all talk of “growth” is tied to real estate speculation and the profits of the same ruling clans and their affiliates, and where “development” is limited to pathetic poverty alleviation programmes by DSWD that never deal with the root causes of poverty and
    inequality.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-javad-heydarian/philippines-mirage-economy_b_4370454.html

  23. Foriegn workers? Unemployment of the Fipinos here remains a major concern of the Philippines,pumupunta na nga lang sa ibayo just to have big income. Most of the filipinos now had an option to have an income not being dependent sa mga nakaupong opisyales. We can try other option unemployed is brave and can choose to be a freeman.
    visit http://www.unemployedpinoys.com

  24. How about they give scholarships in this field to deserving young people? All Pork Barrel funds ought to go to making up this deficit (instead of those worthless road constructions “repairs” or “new projects” where half the funds go directly to the pocket of whichever politician is in charge). Good grief, we export workers. Train them, and give incentives.

  25. The Condo I rent in Makati has a large Chinese and Taiwanese Tenants . Many of them young Chinese and work in the City. They are even fetch by their company vehicles during work days.

  26. Marami Namang high-skilled graduates. Matuturuan Naman yan. Pag nakapagtapos ka nang pag-aaral Ibig sabihin tala gang mag aling ka at adaptable ka Kung anu ang ipapagawa sayo pag tuturuan ka. Dami Kasi kompanya masyadong technical. Dami Naman tala gang Hindi naituturo Sa eskwelahan na kailangan Sa Trabaho pero the fact na graduate ka meaning madali ka nang matuto. Yung malalaking mga kompanya Sa Luzon try nyong pumunta dito Sa Mindanao, daming high-skilled worker dito. Hindi kami ang lagging nakikipagsapalaran dyan Sa maynila at gagasto lang pumunta Diyan just for an interview. Magkaroon kayo nang ma daming hiring process sa mga province para Malaman agad Kung makakapagtrabaho kami at makakalipat nang malapit Sa pagtratrabahuan. Hi rap maghanap ng Trabaho Sa pin as Kasi isla-isla mahal ang pamasahe.

  27. Powerful words.

    There are various reasons and excuses that mentally suppress and depress the minds of any people. A lack of good guidance counceling does hinder the realization and revelation of knowing, sympathizing, and empathizing. There’s too much going on in the hearts of various nations to even generalize problems accurately –many people arrive at the same destination walking different paths; therefore, it takes a lot of genuine concern and empathy to stroll down each individual’s path to heal them.

    Nevertheless, free-will and intentionalities are very real as well, and an unhealthy psychosis will definitely ruin the healing process of others and the good overall health maintained in others. Also, something that never seems to be realized or properly balanced/reasoned is negativity and positivity. Always being negative can lead to destruction, yet, negativity concerning some things can lead to a healthier mindset and productivity. For example, being negative towards covetousness (envious desire) is actually a healthy mindset. Thus, in the same sense, always being positive will lead to conciet, denial, ignorance, and numerous kinds of one-upmanships.

    How do we remove the American spell of dependence and pseudo-independence in order to restore interdependence on every level and in every class of people? The feeling of not being needed or being incapable of being needed is the number one cause of a fading nation. Thus, the most important career in this article is the genuine and empathetic guidance councelor.

    Good day.

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