What I've Learned About Working Here in the Philippines

When a young Filipino wants to start working, you’re genuinely surprised as a German.

In Germany it goes like this: you sign a contract, hand over your tax ID and health insurance, done. The employer handles everything. Social security, taxes, pension, all automatic. If you don’t have health insurance, the employer registers you themselves. You just show up.

Here in the Philippines? You have to go through countless government offices before you earn your first peso. All on your own: birth certificate from PSA, NBI clearance, police clearance, barangay clearance, SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, TIN, medical certificate, and school records. That’s easily ten stops, back and forth.

At least there’s the “First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act” since 2019 — fees are waived for first-time applicants. A good step. But the queuing and office-hopping remains.

Big difference, right? Absolutely.

But here’s my point: Philippines or Germany, easy system or hard one — young people everywhere face the same problem. You have to get moving. It’s not the paperwork that’s the obstacle. The obstacle is whether you get up in the morning and actually follow through. No matter where in the world you are.