The job opportunities in the Philippines

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The appeal of the Philippines is that it is like no other country. Consider its unique features:
1. The people is English speaking - only the poorest cannot understand much. They have good fluency and they even have the American accent. There is of course a learning curve for Filipinos to take on more value-added roles, but expect in a number of years for Filipinos to be performing a number of your business outsourcing roles, e.g. accounting, sales, telephone technical support, etc.
2. The people are amicable - they have a positive and friendly personality; and more generally they have values not too far removed from the Western world; at least compared to the rest of Asia. This makes them particularly well suited to sales tele support roles. I recall a Telstra call promoting their telco services in Australia. My father answered the call, and was having a pushy Indian trying to cajole him to buy some service.
3. They are lifestyle orientated - which means you can expect good staff retention because they want to retain relationships more than climb the corporate ladder. India, the Philippines main competitor in this area suffers from poor retention rates. Indians are far more likely to aspire for more, so for business service providers its difficult to perform it.

There are obstacles as well. The Philippine work ethic more closely resembles the Spanish culture from which is drew its greatest influence. That said, the university population is more aspirational than the general perception one might draw driving around a slump or some provincial images which might permeate our minds walking the streets.

The outlook for the Philippines is rather good. The country is starting to develop some of its mineral resources, and remittances remain a strong & important contributor to the economy.
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Andrew Sheldon
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Yields on Philippine rental apartments

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The Philippine property market is looking very strong. According to Global Property Guide the yield on an aprtment in Manila is around 9% per annum, making it the 6th best yields in the world. The best yields are on property in Jakarta (Indonesia) and Lima (Peru), which are offering 12% yields. I would suggest however that some regional cities in the Philippines offer far better investment returns. Lipa City near the commercial port of Batangas and the Subic Economic Zone are areas which will benefit from satellite developments to the Metro Manila area. Further afield, you can expect places like Lucena City (Quezon), Naga City (Bohol) and Lauag City (Ilocos Norte), Davao City among others to perform very well as well. Improving infrastructure in the Philippines will see call centres placed in these areas in future, and expect these developments to result in a rapid rise in relatively high paid jobs, as well as new entertainment precincts. The most attractive areas are those with recognised universities like La Salle Lipa City. Foreigners will appreciate the improved facilities in these places as well. Lipa City already has 3 shopping malls, new tollway connections to Batangas and Manila. It also has the advantage of higher elevation, so its an attractive place to live. Part of its appeal is that its not as high as Tagaytay, so its not covered in rain clouds, making it an attractive place to live. Its perched on the edge of the Taal Volcano, though not so close that you have to worry, and being to the south, the city is likely avoid any unlikely prospect of a volcaniclastic eruption. Lipa is close to Batangas, Manila, as well as those tourist areas like Nusugbu, Tagatyay and Puerto Gallera. The improvement to the tollway to Manila means it can take just 1 hour and 15mins to get to Manila. Ten years ago the same trip would have taken you 4 hours; 2 years ago it would haven taken 2 hours. This should be important information to prospective investors looking for places to invest. Lucena City is currently isolated from Manila. In another 10 years the freeway might well stretch to Lucena City, which will also place that city in far closer proximity to Manila, but also Lipa, which is also likely to benefit from any development by Manny Villar in the Eton City - Calamba City area.
You can learn more about buying in the Philippines from our Philippines Property report 2008. Buyers of this report will receive the 2010 (2nd edition) free when it is complete. The Philippines is confronting a presidential election in May 2010, so that will be something to watch. There should be no big surprises on the downside, though I suspect better leadership could see the Philippines attract a RE-RATING in future years.

Buying property in the Philippines

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According to a survey by Global Property Guide the Philippines ranks in 3rd place with the best yields on property - with Jakarta and Lima (Peru) in 1st and 2nd places. The average yield for a property in Manila is 10.99%. I much prefer the Philippines for lifestyle reasons and because of a number of other reasons:
1. Greater regulation means restrictions on where you build - so prospect of restricted property development looking forward
2. Strong population growth - this country is growing at 2% per annum, that's almost 2mil people a year
3. Job creation - The Philippines is the preferred business outsourcing base because Filipinos are the best diplomats. Laxed work ethic aside, they have potential for more of this 'structural' shifting of jobs from the west.
4. Remittance - A great deal of money is flowing from expats abroad to the home country, as well as BFs sending GFs money.
5. Reform - The Philippines government on balance is getting its act together. Infrastructure is being built. The country could do with some ports reform, but is otherwise on a positive path. I note that they are increasingly building infrastructure for tourism around the country.
6. China proximity - The Philippines is close to some of the biggest and fastest growing countries in the world, so some of the benefits can be expected to rub off in terms of trade and tourism. There is a new airport flight from Lauag (Ilocos Norte) to China, and expect more of these links to draw tourists. Not just China, but Korea and Japan.
7. Tourist friendly - The Philippines is without a doubt the most tourist friendly country in the world. They are very diplomatic and engaging. Great sense of life, very personable. Gradually you can expect them to get their service culture in place, and a worth ethic. Better still - you can stay in the country on a tourist visa for 18 months without even leaving. Try doing that in Indonesia.

My advice is to check out some of the rural cities - as opposed to focusing on the Manila. My picks are Naga City, Vigan City, Lucena City and Davao City. If you need more info on buying property in the Philippines, I have written a 2 volume eBook "Buying Phililppines Property" on the topic. See my bookstore for more information. Currently updating the late 2008 edition - so I'm forwarding the 2010 edition to those who purchase the 2008 edition.