Philippines-based Ghanaian, Charles Donkor, has disclosed that getting a job in the Philippines was the hardest part since he had no working visa and the labour laws prohibit employers from hiring foreigners instead of Filipinos.
In an interview on SVTV Africa, Mr Donkor said that the Philippines’ Department of Labour demands that employers prove that the vacancy is advertised with no response from a Filipino before hiring a foreigner. As a result, he resorted to menial jobs, but he was refused.
“Because of this, most employers do not want to toe that line because they have to justify that the foreigner can do a better job than a Filipino. It is not discrimination. That is just how their laws work.
“I tried to work as a bus conductor, but I was not given the opportunity. I went as low as a cleaning job but they didn’t accept me because I had no working visa,” he disclosed.
According to Mr Donkor, he decided to get married to his Filipino girlfriend, who he had been dating online for a while. He mentioned that he visited his Filipino girlfriend and decided to stay.
“The conditions of service in the Philippines are way better than in Ghana. I wouldn’t have travelled out if I was paid well in Ghana,” he said.
Moreover, Mr Donkor advised that the youth with dreams of travelling to the Philippines must not rely on their vocational skills because it is not in high demand as in Europe and US.
“Don’t come here as a skilled worker even if it is a sponsored trip. Many people like that are stranded here. Come as a graduate with certification and apply for the jobs before coming. It is easy to get a job if you are certified,” he said on SVTV Africa.
Speaking on the minimum wage in the Philippines, Mr Donkor revealed that it is “15,000 Pesos (Ghs2,300) for those working in bigger institutions, but menial jobs pay less.”
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