# Job Offer BGC Newbie Questions!



## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

Hi, hello and whatever!

I registered here because I've gotten a job offer to come work in Manila/BGC and I have a couple of quick (or maybe not so quick) questions.

The job I've been offered is in Bonifacio Global City, and I quickly came to realize that it would pretty much require me to live there as well considering the trafficsituation in Manila.

My question is simply if it's possible to live a decent life there on the salary I'd get payed. The company has offered me a basic salary of 90k Php a month + some extra pay because I'd be working evening/nights. As far as I can understand this would propably be about 65k php after taxes (please correct me if I'm wrong). They also offer some benefits like medical insurance, and of course they arrange and pay for the AEP (I think it was called).

To give you some idea of what standard I'm used to and what I expect I'll give you some info. 

Currently I live in Riga, Latvia where I make about 1000 euros after taxes. I live in a small studio of 28 sqm in a newly renovated apartment building in the centre of Town. I don't have a car. I like to drink beer and eat out. And I'm a huge Malmö FF fan (football team for all americans out there) and to be able to watch the games I spend about 50 euros a month on 100 mbit internet connection (which I realize I won't get in Manila) and a swedish sports streaming subscription.

When I break my expenses down they are really quite few and I hope to keep it that way if I go to Manila. What I would like to be able to afford is to live in a nice condo with a pool and preferably a gym in the building. A furnished studio or maybe a 1BR, of at least 30 sqm in BGC would be my minimum requirements. From what I can tell this should be doable for between 25-30k? Hopefully I would also be able to get a decent internet connection so I can stream my football games.

Other then living I don't really plan on spending lavishly. I'm single with no kids, I don't plan to get a car and I'm not any kind of fashionista that will be looking to get the newest in pirated high couture every month. What I'd like to spend money on would simply be, food and drinks both at home and out, travel the islands on my spare time and maybe also some travels to neigbouring countries. And I'd also like to pick up diving again after almost 10 years. So simply put, I'd just try to live a bachelor life in a country that's a little bit warmer than the one I'm currently residing in.

Sorry for the long essay, but to put the questions in fewer words: Is it possible to find a furnished studio or 1br in BGC for 25-30k? Will I be able to live a comfortable lifestyle in BGC for the remaining 35-40k of my monthly salary? Will I be able to watch Malmö FF crush their opposition on a Philippine internet connection? Should I go to Manila?

Thankful for any replies except the usual warnings about working in the country  (the company I'd work for is one of the biggest in the world in their field so on that point I'm not too worried)


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

Manila area is a very crowded spot and with all the roadway, LRT (trolley) infrastructure upgrades constantly it's a nightmare getting around, you'd want to live as close to your job site as possible. 

I feel you could you make it though, If I'm not mistaken though Global City is an expensive spot to live, a quick online search had some pricey condo units in the range of 30,000 pesos on up, I did see a few at 18,000 pesos but? I was offered a job in that area but it turned out a scam and the pay wasn't nearly worth the effort and cost of living, hopefully this business is legitimate, legitimate Philippines or in your country....Lol, watch out for the scammers that use us at figure heads for their dirty business, when they're done with the foreigner he's dumped, deported and black listed, well after paying all his fee's first, there are no advocacy groups that I'm aware of other than your Swedish Consulate.


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## HondaGuy (Aug 6, 2012)

Is the company offering you any money for housing or do they expect you to pay for that out of your salary?


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

I'm sorry, but I wouldn't touch that unless the salary was at least 3 times that plus visa expenses plus housing plus moving expenses paid plus annual out of country vacations paid. 

I might be asking for too much there but at least that starts the negotiations for something that is at least comfortable to my meager standards. 

JM101


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Job warning*



JM101 said:


> I'm sorry, but I wouldn't touch that unless the salary was at least 3 times that plus visa expenses plus housing plus moving expenses paid plus annual out of country vacations paid.
> 
> I might be asking for too much there but at least that starts the negotiations for something that is at least comfortable to my meager standards.
> 
> JM101


Like to hear more from "ecce" but I think he got a wake up call on his job offer and sure I'll bet a company would like to hire a foreigner instead from the local workforce but then follow through on the Visa, work permits, SSS, taxes... probably not gonna happen.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

Many years ago my Dad was sent by his company to the Philippines to work.

Because he was an executive in the company he was paid accordingly with all the fringe benefits. 

Since he was born in Manila (of US parents...my grandfather was working in PI at the time), it made perfect sense for my family to come here to work.

I don't think that "ecce" is in that same predicament. 

JM101


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

Long time no answer from me. I turned this offer down, was not willing to gamble with trying to make it on that salary halfway around the world. The company would only have payed for the Visa costs, nothing else and then I felt it was a little too low of a salary to make it worth my while. At least for now.


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

mcalleyboy said:


> Like to hear more from "ecce" but I think he got a wake up call on his job offer and sure I'll bet a company would like to hire a foreigner instead from the local workforce but then follow through on the Visa, work permits, SSS, taxes... probably not gonna happen.



With the job I was offered they don't really have the choice of hiring locals. Not too many (although I'm sure there are a few) swedish/scandinavian-speaking Filipinos available which was a requirement for that job. I'm pretty confident everything about the job was legit, I just wasn't too happy with the pay.


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

JM101 said:


> I'm sorry, but I wouldn't touch that unless the salary was at least 3 times that plus visa expenses plus housing plus moving expenses paid plus annual out of country vacations paid.
> 
> I might be asking for too much there but at least that starts the negotiations for something that is at least comfortable to my meager standards.
> 
> JM101


I don't know what your background is but 3 times that salary + all living expenses paid? That's more than an average engineer or doctor in Sweden makes , just counting the salary. Seems a little far fetched to ask for that kind of money.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

ecce said:


> I don't know what your background is but 3 times that salary + all living expenses paid? That's more than an average engineer or doctor in Sweden makes , just counting the salary. Seems a little far fetched to ask for that kind of money.


Not far fetched at all...

My current monthly RETIREMENT income is over 175,000php, so for a working salary, I would want much more.

JM101


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

JM101 said:


> Not far fetched at all...
> 
> My current monthly RETIREMENT income is over 175,000php, so for a working salary, I would want much more.
> 
> JM101


Well obviously we live under very different circumstances. What you get in retirement income is about what I would make if I went back to Sweden and did the same job there that I do in Latvia now. And that would be considered a quite good salary there. Not to argue in vain, I won't be working in Phillipines anyway, but if I did I would expect to get payed less than in Sweden. 

But then again, I guess it all depends on why you wna't to go somewhere. I would not be going to make a lot of money or to retire. I would have gone there, planning on staying a couple of years. To experience a new culture and country.

As it went, I got an offer to work in Lisbon instead with much higher pay and benefits. But who knows maybe someday I'll go to Manila as well.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

Why don't you take a little vacation, between your job transfers and visit here for a couple of weeks?

JM101


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## Gary D (Oct 28, 2013)

JM101 said:


> Not far fetched at all...
> 
> My current monthly RETIREMENT income is over 175,000php, so for a working salary, I would want much more.
> 
> JM101


That's pretty close to what I make here in the UK as an engineer, take home, so I don't think I will be moving to Sweden anytime soon. I would expect to live very well out in the province on my retirement income which is likely to be just under half of that, but if I was working in Manila 175k doesn't look too far out.


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

Gary D said:


> That's pretty close to what I make here in the UK as an engineer, take home, so I don't think I will be moving to Sweden anytime soon. I would expect to live very well out in the province on my retirement income which is likely to be just under half of that, but if I was working in Manila 175k doesn't look too far out.


I meant that 3 times 90 k php was around what an engineer or a doctor in Sweden made, not 90k php. Which seems to correspond well with what your making after taxes? Anywho, I'm neither a doctor nor an engineer, those salarys are not being offered to me anywhere.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

ecce, 

I am amazed at how low the salaries you are talking about...even for an engineer.

My sister who is still working in the USA is a High School Math teacher and is making the equilivent of 312,000php monthly and she says that is low for her skills.

When I was working, friends on mine were making $100,000 or more per year for just selling cars or houses. 

JM101


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Global city job*



ecce said:


> With the job I was offered they don't really have the choice of hiring locals. Not too many (although I'm sure there are a few) swedish/scandinavian-speaking Filipinos available which was a requirement for that job. I'm pretty confident everything about the job was legit, I just wasn't too happy with the pay.


My two concern's were the cost of living and a bonafide job so thanks for the reply but sure wish you'd kept up the post, ahh still would have been a good deal I think. :fingerscrossed:


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

JM101 said:


> ecce,
> 
> I am amazed at how low the salaries you are talking about...even for an engineer.
> 
> ...


With the risk of going of topic... You can't really compare US salaries with Swedish ones (and I suspect this goes for many parts pf western europe) given how much is payed for or atleast heavily subsidized by the government. Healthcare, childcare, higher education and so on is all payed for via taxes in Sweden and "free" for the citizens. It's not in the US. As I have some familiarity with High School teacher salaries in Sweden in being one myself (or at least I used to be)  I can tell you that the average pretax salary for a high school teacher is about 30k swedish kronor, or about 3500 usd per month. After taxes maybe 2500 usd. You're genarally well paid in the US, but you also have alot more expenses. Which system is better I wouldn't know.


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## ecce (Aug 17, 2015)

mcalleyboy said:


> My two concern's were the cost of living and a bonafide job so thanks for the reply but sure wish you'd kept up the post, ahh still would have been a good deal I think. :fingerscrossed:


They actually tried to up the offer a little a couple of days ago, which for some reason coincided with me posting here again 

For now I'm bound for Lisbon for a while but hopefully I might do a year in Manila in the future. There are Swedes working at the company and surviving on that salary so I'm sure it's possible, my questions were more to see how much I would have to sacrifice to make it work. But I got some insight in how low swedish wages are compared to american pensions instead


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## M.C.A. (Feb 24, 2013)

*Pensions*



ecce said:


> They actually tried to up the offer a little a couple of days ago, which for some reason coincided with me posting here again
> 
> For now I'm bound for Lisbon for a while but hopefully I might do a year in Manila in the future. There are Swedes working at the company and surviving on that salary so I'm sure it's possible, my questions were more to see how much I would have to sacrifice to make it work. But I got some insight in how low swedish wages are compared to american pensions instead


The military or government pensions are much better as compared to somebody that has retired from the civilian sector. After one year of living here you wouldn't want to leave that's the honest truth so there's another factor you didn't weigh in on and that would have been relationships the girls really do like us here.

My heritage is Norwegian the family name (mine's different) is Gauslow.


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## JM101 (Jan 6, 2015)

ecce said:


> With the risk of going of topic... You can't really compare US salaries with Swedish ones (and I suspect this goes for many parts pf western europe) given how much is payed for or atleast heavily subsidized by the government. Healthcare, childcare, higher education and so on is all payed for via taxes in Sweden and "free" for the citizens. It's not in the US. As I have some familiarity with High School teacher salaries in Sweden in being one myself (or at least I used to be)  I can tell you that the average pretax salary for a high school teacher is about 30k swedish kronor, or about 3500 usd per month. After taxes maybe 2500 usd. You're genarally well paid in the US, but you also have alot more expenses. Which system is better I wouldn't know.


Good to know information.

Thanks for the insight.

And good luck with the new job.

JM101


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