When the worldwide corporate playground was made a level playing field thanks to the internet early in the 21st century, the Philippines eventually emerged as one of the top outsourcing destinations across the globe.

Today, the Southeast Asian archipelago has turned into a remote working hotspot as well. Here are several major, quantifiable reasons why more organisations are hiring Filipino virtual assistants, and why you should too.

Cost

Like other outsourcing destinations like China or India, the cost of living in the Philippines is pretty low, especially when compared to western nations like the United States, Australia or United Kingdom.

As of this writing the minimum wage in the Philippines is 537 pesos per day, which converts to 14+ Australian dollars (or around AU$1.75 per hour). For reference:

• The Australian minimum wage is AU$18.93 per hour.
• The US minimum wage is US$7.25 per hour.

So in an offshore staffing company like Remote Workmate – where you can hire a Filipino virtual assistant starting at AU$7 or US$6 per hour – you save on salary costs while your VA earns way more than a traditional job.

English proficiency

When it comes to business, law and education, the Philippines primarily uses English. While English isn’t the national language, more than 14 million Filipinos speak it, regardless of their dialect. Most speak at least basic English, but the well-educated are fluent.

It’s no wonder instructions are typically written in English in the Philippines; so are billboards and street signs.

The quality of the English is pretty good too, so much so that tens of thousands of foreign students visit to learn the language, and their numbers are steadily increasing.

Filipinos also speak with a neutral or American accent, partly because the country was a US colony for nearly 50 years.

Having this level of proficiency enables your virtual assistant to minimise communication challenges that come from such arrangements. Articulate remote assistants should easily hold their own when dealing with your clients.

Education

Here are some relevant facts about education in the Philippines:

• According to the 2013 FLEMMS survey, the Philippines has a literacy rate of 96.5%.
  
  
• The Philippine Statistics Authority revealed that majority of the country’s workforce are college graduates (it’s a typical job requirement), with degrees in science, finance, technology, communication and various other fields.
  
  
• A 2014 Business Processing Association of the Philippines study and the Commission of Higher Education reported that Philippine universities produce nearly 500,000 college graduates yearly, across fields that align well with the outsourcing industry.

This level of competence gives Filipinos the flexibility and trainability to cater to a wider range of demand for offshore services.

Exposure to Western culture

As mentioned earlier, the Philippines used to be an American colony. Before that, the country was under Spanish rule for over 300 years. This collectively influenced the Filipino identity; as a result, its language, media and way of life are steeped in Western culture.

In fact, according to Britannica, the country is strongly Euro-American in terms of culture.

From the New York Times: “It helps that Filipinos learn American English in the first grade, eat hamburgers, follow the NBA and watch the TV show ‘Friends’ long before they enter a call center,” [emphasis added]. Meanwhile, call centres trainers in other countries use “Friends” as a teaching tool.

Why does this matter? This level of exposure allows Filipino remote workers to adapt easily with their clients, most of which come from Western countries.

Savvy in tech and social media

As of December 2018, the Philippines has 67 million internet users, an internet penetration rate of 62%, and a grand total of 62 million Facebook users. Moreover, based on findings of a Limelight Networks report, it’s the most active nation online in Southeast Asia.

According to Limelight Networks executive Jaheer Abbas: “High levels of literacy among the population, and a higher percentage of the population who are technology-savvy compared to other regions, [results in] good adoption of newer forms of content and platforms on the internet.”

Abbas notes that this online activity can be attributed to Filipinos’ globally dispersed population.

Demand for remote work

For a small Southeast Asian nation, traffic is pretty bad in the Philippines. The Japan International Cooperation Agency revealed that the archipelago is losing PH₱3.5 billion a day due to traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

Giving people the chance to work remotely has really helped spur the telecommuting economy in the Philippines. Today, 9 out of 10 Filipinos want jobs that offer a work-from-home option. As it stands, the country has an estimated 1.5 million freelancers, as per a PayPal study.

Remote work has grown so much in the country that the government has enacted the Telecommuting Act, which provides employees the option to work from home.

Hiring a virtual assistant in the Philippines can significantly cut your salary costs and increase your business output, while simultaneously making a difference in your remote workers’ standard of living.

While there is some risk involved, it’s mitigated by various measurable advantages. The key is to a) place an emphasis on the welfare of your virtual assistant, which in turn will b) help establish mutual trust. Expect higher output and better outcomes to follow.

Hired a virtual assistant yet? We can help fill the roles you need. Schedule a call with us today to find out how.