In 2020 alone, there is an estimate of nearly 2.2 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) scattered across the globe. The combined revenue from OFW remittances reached Php 19.52 billion (USD 377 billion), representing 8% of the Philippines’ 2019 economy. Despite the threat of the pandemic, these modern-day superheroes continue to support not just their families but the whole country as well. Today, we shed light on the types of jobs our OFWs take on while they fight hard every day abroad.
The Healthcare Industry
The demand for healthcare workers such as nurses wasn’t as always as high before the pandemic. High-paying jobs in this industry are scarce; that’s why many Filipino nurses and healthcare workers chose to seek employment abroad. Because of this, the Philippines has become one of the world’s largest exporters of nurses. Some countries with a high number of employed Filipino nurses are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and Saudi Arabia.
In 2017, thePhilippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA)announced that several Asian and European countries would open their doors to Filipino nurses and healthcare workers. Some of the most in-demand jobs in this field are:
- Staff Nurses
- Medical Technologist
- ICU Nurse
- General Nurse
- Midwife
- Dental Nurse
- Care Giver
- NICU Nurse
- Private Nurse
- Physiotherapist
- Infrastructure Industry
Many countries abroad like Switzerland, Africa, and Libya have long been employing engineers from the Philippines. Engineers who went to this country worked to develop infrastructure and are still employed at this time. Korean firms like Hyundai are also in need of Filipino OFWs, as well as Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and Qatar. On average, a licensed Civil Engineer that has years of tenure and certifications can earn as much as USD 80,000 to USD 100,000 per year.
Labor, Construction, and Trades
The reality is, most of our workers in the construction field are working abroad, and the country felt the shortage during the peak of the current administration’s “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure program that was originally planned to be done by the year 2022. The lack of local workforce industry is driven by a steady and consistent need for skilled and unskilled workers in countries like Japan, Canada, Switzerland, and New Zealand.
Because Filipinos are known to be naturally hardworking, our workers are also being sought after in factory-related jobs. Certified plumbers, welders, electricians, andmachine repair techniciansare also in demand. In New Zealand, most OFWs in this industry earn around NZD 35,000 – NZD 60,000 per year.
Teaching Industry
Filipino teachers are highly regarded and respected in other countries because of their high competency in teaching English. Now that many non-English nations are widening their curriculum and adding English as a primary subject, the need for Filipino teachers has reached an all-time high.
The Middle East is expressing its interest by opening employment in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. Asian countries such as Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and China also need Filipino OFWs in this field.Other top job destinations for teachersare:
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Taiwan
- Spain
- France
- Czech Republic
- United States
- Australia
- Canada
In Singapore, teachers for children ages two to five, also known as pre-school teachers, are currently in demand, while China offers a monthly salary of USD 500- USD 1,000.If you are planning on working abroad as a teacher, some of the most basic requirementsare:
- Collegegraduate with a degree in Education
- Has specialization in elementary, secondary, or higher education
- Has at least two to five years of teaching experience
- You must possess above-average communication skills in both spoken and written English
- Must pass the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) conducted by theProfessional Regulations Commission (PRC)
General Work and Hospitality Industries
General work includes professions such as dispatcher, driver, messenger, and housekeeper. It is one of the most in-demand jobs for Filipino workers who don’t hold a college degree and carry skilled or unskilled worker certification. In 2015 alone, more than 20,000 job postings have been opened in the field of General Work.
On the other hand, the hospitality industry has always been a top field for many Filipinos before the pandemic. Hotels, resorts, and cruise ships from all over the world employed workers from the Philippines. Other jobs in hospitality are bartenders, waiters/waitresses, hosts, front desk clerks, and concierge staff.
Finding a decent-paying job overseas is hard long before COVID-19. Filipinos often opt to go abroad to find ways to provide money to their loved ones. Most of the time, having a degree is not enough because many large companies and employers require years of experience in your chosen field.
If you are hoping to find a job abroad, take this time that you have at home to attend courses that can further improve your skillset. Don’t stop learning and keep hoping because we want toachieve a comfortable life for our loved ones.