Working in the Philippines is a great idea, and you should go for it as Filipino culture teaches you to become flexible, strengthen your Filipino vocabulary, build stronger relationships, and have a better service-centered networking circle. Are you looking for a short, easy guide before working in the Philippines?
In this article, you will learn about the work ethic to adapt to the work culture in the Philippines. Experience the Tagalog language with these important reminders.
Table of Contents
Secret Sauce To Working In The Philippines
Here are some of the tips that can get you in there in no time and help you understand Filipino culture. This article has a fool-proof way to make work there as if you were a local citizen of the Philippines and you can learn this and apply it anywhere you like.
You will be able to understand the Philippine basic traditions, values, and beliefs to have a strong team connection to have a better Filipino team workforce that would attract investors to the company you are working for. You can learn all these quick tips in less than five minutes!
Language Capability
English is a great language, no doubt, for communication around the world, but learning the Filipino language would be a plus. Additionally, this would help you communicate with the supporting Filipino staff.
You can even communicate with your colleagues in Filipino this way you will have a better understanding with your colleague and go out with them as friends after working hours are over.
Also, it will be easy for you to cooperate with them to build better communication with your fellow Filipino team members.
Better Control Of Remote Work And Communication
It is a must to set the exact Philippine time to start the job as some workers may not be available to work in the office. So, you can keep assisting them through remote work by having Zoom meetings or by posting the requirements to complete the work using project management tools and other apps to keep updating them if there are any revisions left in the work to complete the client’s needs. Furthermore, knowing your colleagues is a good thing.
When you know what they are good at and what they are bad at, you can help them in their strongholds and assign someone a task in which they are weak. This way, you will build up a better Filipino workforce than expected. Also, why don’t you try speaking Tagalog with some of the best apps in learning the Taglaog language?
The Concept Of Pakikisama: Workplace Culture In The Philippines
If you get hired as an HRM (Human Resource Manager) then you will have to hire the right candidates for the work.
You may find yourself puzzled in this situation because you will find people who aced interviews but are bad at work, people who are good at work but are making the company a toxic environment, and the ones who have no experience at all but are willing to be hardworking to reach targeted goals on a low salary.
To do this, you will have to set pointers and keep an eye on the Filipino workers and Filipino employees. In that sense, pakikisama (lit. to get along with) is a valued unofficial workplace culture. It is important to respect your coworkers to avoid conflicts with your boss and workmates.
Party Events In The Office
This is a chance for your colleagues to get to know you better and for you to shine your talents. Party events are always planned in Filipino calendars. They also happen in the office and are mostly welcoming parties, Christmas parties, Inquisition, feast, charades, and baptism.
These are the events where you can have a proper get-together with your Filipino colleagues and have a small talk in which they can teach you about their Filipino culture, Filipino business etiquette, traditions, and stuff not to do in public gatherings that might end up embarrassing yourself.
Business Thinker
If you go with a CV/resume that is strong enough of your previous experience in your own country and that you have a good reputation in the organization you have worked with, then you have a higher chance of getting hired in the Philippines. The right skills can pay your bills and apply to those organizations that you think can talk about whether you would be the best fit for this job.
While the employer will be reading out your CV, you should make sure that you know what has been written down in your CV and you’re confident in your skills, having slight hesitation can ruin your interview immediately. You should also be convincing enough that the employer can rely on your expertise as they are not just investing in the company but in you as well.
The best site to apply for the Philippines is LinkedIn. Once you apply, wait for the call and schedule your interview before you book your flight to the Philippines and end up doing something else.
Make sure you’re following the timings of the Philippines and your country and the Philippines’ hours may differ and check the exact location where the company is located so you don’t waste much time in finding it when you reach there.
Managing The Team
If you are a team player and want to work as a manager of a business in the Philippines then you need to consider the following main points.
- Firstly, the basic thing is to be easy on the beginner, like an intern, and give some freedom and space to workers so they may feel easy to work in the environment. Pressuring them will cause them to leave the office and resign.
- Secondly, give some flexible working hours. This way, the workers would appreciate you for letting them work at their most convenient hours. This is more appropriate for remote workers.
- Furthermore, if your fresh interns have joined the organization, give them some time for training, teach them every aspect of the organization, and ensure that they have the proper software tools to manage team building and team structure so that the team is well managed.
- Lastly, give bonus incentives for extra working hours, getting the work done before the deadline, or giving a big threat to the entire Filipino team for impressive working performance.
Family And Relationships
As mentioned earlier, treating the workers as if they were your family has a term called Pakkisama (camaraderie) for a native English speaker. But, in the Philippines, it means more than that.
It means to get out of the way to help others, which shows the true culture of Filipino people, treating your Filipino seniors like your older brothers and older sisters, learning from their past mistakes not to repeat them, and understanding the morals of Philippine cultural values, and deepening your thoughts.
Strong Service And Understanding
Kapwa (fellowship of togetherness) understands the core values of work ethics and a way of demonstrating productivity. This creates a bond regardless of status: whether you are rich or poor, whether you have wealth or not, and whatever your social status might be. Moreover, this is a sense of strong service orientation that adds value to the workplace.
How Do You Say Work Culture In Tagalog?
The word for work culture in Tagalog is kultura ng trabaho . Although many Filipinos really don’t use the word kultura ng trabaho casually. How about work itself? You can use the word trabaho if you want to refer to work.
Here are other words and phrases that you could use when you want to talk to your officemates and co-workers in Tagalog.
Tagalog Words And Phrases Related To Work
| English | Tagalog | Sound |
|---|---|---|
| Officemate/Coworker | Katrabaho | |
| Boss | Boss | |
| Workplace/Company | Kompanya | |
| Papers | Mga papeles | |
| Office | Opisina | |
| What is your job? | Ano ang trabaho mo? |
We have a complete list of jobs vocabulary in Tagalog if you want to memorize more. If you’re still curious about the work culture in the Philippines, here are more questions and answers for you.
Frequently Asked Questions For The Work Culture In The Philippines
What Is The Attitude Of Filipinos At Work?
Filipinos are always hospitable and welcoming and want to build strong social bonds within the workplace. They are hard-working, goal-oriented, and jovial. Moreover, Filipinos appreciate it if foreigners are open to learning more about their language, traditions, and customs. There is also a huge respect for authority and hierarchical systems that may take you a few months to adjust to.
Although these attitudes may have advantages and disadvantages, it’s best to understand Filipino culture and characteristics to learn more about their intentions.
What Are The Work Values Of Filipinos?
Generally, Filipino work values are centered on religious beliefs. Because many Filipinos believe in doing good, pakikisama or pakikipagkapwa is a priority. Filipinos also prioritize resourcefulness. Hence the famous Filipino phrase: Kung gusto, may paraan. Kung ayaw, maraming dahilan. If there’s a will, there’s a way. If you don’t like it, there are many excuses in English translation, as everyone knows it.
If you are working with a Filipino healthcare worker, you’ll experience top-notch attentiveness to detail, high-quality work, and the strive for excellence.
What Is The Filipino Business Culture?
Filipinos are optimistic, heavily personal, and family-oriented when it comes to business culture. They are very business-minded, and it’s a booming culture after the pandemic hit. There is a mix of Asian, American, and European cultures when Filipinos deal with their clients and customers.
Want to start a thriving business in the Philippines? If you have already completed the requirements for a business permit as a foreigner, you will need to know the following Filipino characteristics. Apart from the work ethics mentioned earlier, Filipinos are very eager to establish connections with investors and business partners.
Planning To Work In The Philippines?
If you are going for a world tour and checking out the best places to work abroad, you should check out the Philippines first! It will save you so much time as opposed to going to many countries which will take forever!
After having a whole tour checking out their office and Filipino work culture environment, I can tell you exactly what to do when you go there and if you are going to apply for a job in the Philippines.
Having the right etiquette and mentality to work with the locals and to set yourself as part of their team is right to get in there for your first step and learn about Filipino culture, the Filipino workforce, and Philippine society.
Wrapping Up
Although you should avoid implementing your cultural habits as that may make them feel uncomfortable around you, you can always give them ideas of your culture that they would feel like adopting and bring self-improvement in them, too.
You’ll have to give constructive criticism so that you may not hurt any colleague or worker’s feelings and try to be supportive. Always have the time for struggles and new challenges. Start cracking some jokes to make the workplace a happy place and enjoyable environment to work in, creating positive vibes in the office.
Last but not least, build a strong networking environment to attract business investors to the company. If you wish to learn more than check out the Ling app which teaches the Tagalog language and much more about the culture of the Philippines.
Happy learning!
Updated by CJ
