# Salary negotioation in Manila



## Ph76

Ladies & Gents,

I have an interview with a company in Manila as Vice President - IT.

Does anyone know what the salary span could be for such a position, I have google until my fingers started to bleed but cannot find good answers. This is the first interview with the head of HR and I'm suspecting that the salary question will come up.

This is an international firm with strong presence in SEA, I'm Swedish, living in Sweden and with previous work experience (long time ago) in Manila.

Huge thanks for any feedback!


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## Tiz

I think a local VP in my company (I.T) would be on about 60-80K per month.


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## Ph76

You mean PHP? Da*n that would be a letdown, I can't see myself relocating the family for that.

Thanks for the answer!


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## hogrider

Yes it's a crazy low salary isn't it. My engineers have a salary of 4 times that in Dubai.


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## Ph76

Yeah, I make approx. 8 times that now in Stockholm if I include pension investment from the firm, plus healthcare, day care and schooling is free (even Uni)

Ok let's see what they say...


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## mogo51

Well if it turns out to be accurate, stay put where you are already getting a very strong salary. You won't come to the philippines for the pay packet that is for certain. Bear in mind the cost of living is near half what you are experiencing in Sweden.


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## Zep

There must be some high (higher paying) paying jobs in the Philippines but in general the wages as very low. All my relatives with any ambition at all ( sadly very few) go overseas to Taiwan/Hong Kong/Dubai for work or are seamen. I think they make like 20k to 30k pesos per month with no skills. Here in the PI there are no jobs or they would work in the fields for 200 to 300 pesos/day.


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## pronse

Can you find out if you will be working for a local company or non local?
----Snip---- Make sure to get a salary quote.


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## Manitoba

If you are being recruited from overseas then I would assume that they are not looking to pay local wages but somewhere closer to what you can earn at home.

You may note get that here but the cost of living is much less here than at home. I am living very well in Makati, at an upscale one bedroom condo with pool, security etc. on 100k p a month, that is $US 2,000. My budget is roughly 30k for the apartment plus utilities, cell phone etc. 35k for food not counting meals out and 40k for entertainment, meals out, dates, movies etc. I don’t own a car because parking alone is more than I spend on Grab, Uber and taxi.

I simply would tell them what you are earning and let them offer.


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## Simon1983

I agree with Manitoba. Especially in Manila there are many places that would pay you something closer to a European wage than a 'local' wage, especially at a senior level and with a multinational company.
I would add though that if you are bringing a family over you need to consider other costs - education and healthcare being the main ones.
Manila is probably OK for a single person but if you are bringing family with you you might want to consider schooling, medical expenses and also stuff like food and leisure.
Unless you or your partner is Filipino or you have a burning desire to live and work in the Philippines then you need to weigh up the benefit to your career against the upheaval and lifestyle change you and your family will have to go through.


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## pronse

If you end up getting paid in pesos, then reject it. It’s not worth it.

I’ve been all over the PH. Only Makati is a place I could live in. ----Snip-----

----Snip-----.


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## Manitoba

Simon1983 said:


> .......
> Unless you or your partner is Filipino or you have a burning desire to live and work in the Philippines then you need to weigh up the benefit to your career against the upheaval and lifestyle change you and your family will have to go through.


Working for a large multinational company, it may be a prerequisite for further advancement to work in a foreign office and or one considered a hardship posting.

That also should be factored into your decision. 

There are good international schools here. I have heard that they are expensive. 

Big decision with lots of pro's and con's but I will say that the Philippines is a great place to live if you have the cash. Not as much cash as needed elsewhere in the world but local wages are usually not enough. 

Close to lots of international destinations, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan etc all a couple hours flight away.


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## Ph76

Thanks for al the answers guys a lot of good advice. I have worked in Manila for 6 month before but that was in 2008 and I was living at Shangri-la Edsa the whole time, which does not give me the full picture of living. But I do like the Philippines and Manila.

The company is Macau base (which kind of gives you the industry). 

I found this last night which is somewhat in line of what I would tell them when they ask (page 337) robertwalters.com.ph/content/dam/robert-walters/country/singapore/files/salary-survey/salary-survey-2017.pdf 

(Business Analyst/Project/Change Management).

5.5M PHP p.a + housing and schooling as opening bid.


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## Ph76

Manitoba said:


> Big decision with lots of pro's and con's but I will say that the Philippines is a great place to live if you have the cash. Not as much cash as needed elsewhere in the world but local wages are usually not enough.
> 
> .


We are kind of looking for an easier life style than what we have in Sweden with the dark & the cold most of the year, all free time consumed by cleaning, laundry, gardening and such, when we want to be able to spend that time with our kids as a family.

But we are not willing to go down in living standards.


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## Manitoba

Ph76 said:


> We are kind of looking for an easier life style than what we have in Sweden with the dark & the cold most of the year, all free time consumed by cleaning, laundry, gardening and such, when we want to be able to spend that time with our kids as a family.
> 
> But we are not willing to go down in living standards.


Household help is cheap here. You can get live in 6 days a week childcare, household help, gardener, driver etc for next to nothing if you provide room and board. ( between $US 150 to $200 a month would be lots for the skilled people, a simple cleaner would be much less.). The hard part is finding someone good, dependable and trustworthy.

That buys you something very valuable, time. 

A quick online look gives several 5 bedroom homes in Makati for between 200kp and 400kp a month depending on furnished or not. These will be luxury high-end homes in extremely safe subdivisions. Also, this is asking prices, you can always make a bargain, often 10% discounts for prepaying a year in advance.

Before making your decision, why not ask for a site visit? Get a feel for the place, location is important because the worst thing here is traffic, you do not want a long commute. Often during rush hour times walking is the fastest way around, even for longer distances.

If you come, just let us know. I am sure many here would be happy to have a coffee/beer with you and offer some insights.


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## Ph76

Manitoba said:


> A quick online look gives several 5 bedroom homes in Makati for between 200kp and 400kp a month depending on furnished or not. These will be luxury high-end homes in extremely safe subdivisions. Also, this is asking prices, you can always make a bargain, often 10% discounts for prepaying a year in advance.
> .


Yeah I've seen that, I do think that I would like cap it at 180kp, saving you know ;-)


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## bigpearl

pronse said:


> If you end up getting paid in pesos, then reject it. It’s not worth it.
> 
> I’ve been all over the PH. Only Makati is a place I could live in. Don’t go anywhere else or you get killed ... not just robbed. Your white skin is enough ?
> 
> Unless you are an eligator working for the government. Well, that’s another story.


Depends very much on how many Pesos the offer/contract is and as for being killed outside of Makati? My chances of survival in PH are much better than many other countries, government alligators prosper in all countries.

Cheers, Steve.


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## bigpearl

Ph76 said:


> Ladies & Gents,
> 
> I have an interview with a company in Manila as Vice President - IT.
> 
> Does anyone know what the salary span could be for such a position, I have google until my fingers started to bleed but cannot find good answers. This is the first interview with the head of HR and I'm suspecting that the salary question will come up.
> 
> This is an international firm with strong presence in SEA, I'm Swedish, living in Sweden and with previous work experience (long time ago) in Manila.
> 
> Huge thanks for any feedback!


Firstly welcome to the forum mate, enjoy, research and enjoy more especially if you are considering the move. Lots of info here.
Have you been head hunted? If so the financial side should be part of the initial meeting with your HR dept or if outsourced the info should be supplied to you, they know their budget and you need to find that out or simply state your requirements for the offered position. Better for them to offer then negotiate as we do. Definitely silly to go backwards financially, even with a superior income than you earn in Sweden you have to consider your wife, children, extended family etc. Good luck with your decision and I wish you the best.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Ph76

bigpearl said:


> Firstly welcome to the forum mate, enjoy, research and enjoy more especially if you are considering the move. Lots of info here.
> Have you been head hunted? If so the financial side should be part of the initial meeting with your HR dept or if outsourced the info should be supplied to you, they know their budget and you need to find that out or simply state your requirements for the offered position. Better for them to offer then negotiate as we do. Definitely silly to go backwards financially, even with a superior income than you earn in Sweden you have to consider your wife, children, extended family etc. Good luck with your decision and I wish you the best.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


I applied to a LinkedIn ad, which sadly does not give me the same barging power. But I agree, no meaning relocating if it is not good for the whole family.


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## Manitoba

Ph76 said:


> Yeah I've seen that, I do think that I would like cap it at 180kp, saving you know ;-)



You still should find something good at that. You might have to give up on location, size of the yard, number of bedrooms etc. but still you will find something pretty good for that.

Fior a point of comparison I am in Makati, in a modern high rise with security, gym pool etc. One bedroom fully furnished for 25k plus electric (between 2 and 3 k a month). Two bedrooms here are somewhere in the high 30's. 

Not the best place if you have more than one kid but it should be a good point of comparison.

Makati or BGC will be the most expensive places here. Depending on where your job is you should be able to find something nice for that much, that is significantly more than I completely live on and I live the high life.


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## Manitoba

Ph76 said:


> I applied to a LinkedIn ad, which sadly does not give me the same barging power. But I agree, no meaning relocating if it is not good for the whole family.


If they want you how you made the first contact is not relevant. In my experience, the employer is looking for the most economical and efficient way to fill the need. They will often run ads for a while and if no luck then hire a headhunter.

The headhunter is paid based on your starting salary so they will often have an incentive to help you get the best salary possible. On the other hand, if the deal falls through because of salary demands then they get nothing so this advantage is tempered somewhat. I think that these two balance so a headhunter will generally be honest in his statement of salary range available.

If you don't get what you want, what have you lost except some time and you have gained experience for your next search?


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## Ph76

Manitoba said:


> If they want you how you made the first contact is not relevant. In my experience, the employer is looking for the most economical and efficient way to fill the need. They will often run ads for a while and if no luck then hire a headhunter.
> 
> The headhunter is paid based on your starting salary so they will often have an incentive to help you get the best salary possible. On the other hand, if the deal falls through because of salary demands then they get nothing so this advantage is tempered somewhat. I think that these two balance so a headhunter will generally be honest in his statement of salary range available.
> 
> If you don't get what you want, what have you lost except some time and you have gained experience for your next search?


This is not through a headhunter, the interview tomorrow is with the Senior HR Manager with the company. I'm pretty open though, if they are not willing to meet my demands then I wont be interested, no meaning moving over the globe for a worse deal then I have now.


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## bigpearl

Ph76 said:


> This is not through a headhunter, the interview tomorrow is with the Senior HR Manager with the company. I'm pretty open though, if they are not willing to meet my demands then I wont be interested, no meaning moving over the globe for a worse deal then I have now.


Demands? Wishes mean diddly squat especially if internal if the conditions and pay are acceptable then the sweetener is the challenge and ones ability to accomplish such and move forward within the realms with recognition to the next big picture. As we do.

Good luck with your interview Ph76.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Ph76

The interview was rescheduled for today and I just had it. Great interview and the job sounds very interesting and challenging enough. 

Sadly, the salary discussion did not come up yet and he mentioned that this will not be closed this side of the year due to x-mas.

Well well, we'll see....


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## bigpearl

Ph76 said:


> The interview was rescheduled for today and I just had it. Great interview and the job sounds very interesting and challenging enough.
> 
> Sadly, the salary discussion did not come up yet and he mentioned that this will not be closed this side of the year due to x-mas.
> 
> Well well, we'll see....


Only an observation PH76 but if I am offered a position offshore no matter internal or external (freelance) my first question to the offer is how much and what benefits and conditions and then digest, this criteria is asked by myself prior to or in the initial interview and counter offers and settlement if suitable with negotiations and possible further meetings, If you get to the second screening the position is yours, normally first interview tells the tales. Nothing really to add to this as you have already been to PH and a job offer in Lithuania for me may be more attractive as I have not been there yet, one day I hope.
Good luck with your endeavours mate, and don't take Shxt, you were invited to the prospective position for a reason.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Ph76

bigpearl said:


> Only an observation PH76 but if I am offered a position offshore no matter internal or external (freelance) my first question to the offer is how much and what benefits and conditions and then digest, this criteria is asked by myself prior to or in the initial interview and counter offers and settlement if suitable with negotiations and possible further meetings, If you get to the second screening the position is yours, normally first interview tells the tales. Nothing really to add to this as you have already been to PH and a job offer in Lithuania for me may be more attractive as I have not been there yet, one day I hope.
> Good luck with your endeavours mate, and don't take Shxt, you were invited to the prospective position for a reason.
> 
> Cheers, Steve.


I understand what you are saying. What I want to do is to understand the position and the importance of it in the global organization before I push for the money. Having interviews is really no biggie for me and do not take a lot of energy and I’m ok with going through a few before talking money.

My experience is not that it is concluded after the first interview, I have moved continents before (twice) and had 3 interviews before money was on the table.

If I end up not getting the position due to cash or skills in the end that Is ok as well, life is full of opportunities.


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## DCTang

pronse said:


> If you end up getting paid in pesos, then reject it. It’s not worth it.
> 
> I’ve been all over the PH. Only Makati is a place I could live in. Don’t go anywhere else or you get killed ... not just robbed. Your white skin is enough ?
> 
> Unless you are an eligator working for the government. Well, that’s another story.


 ---Snip---. You will not be killed living outside Manila for being white. Plenty of expats live fine in cities like Ortigas and BGC Taguig (both of which are business districts.) I'm a Filipino born and raised, and I lived in the Bay area for a while. I can tell you that unless you go to the slums and bad areas of the Philippines, you have as much a chance to get stabbed and killed in parts of the US such as San Francisco.


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## fmartin_gila

DCTang said:


> ---Snip---. You will not be killed living outside Manila for being white. Plenty of expats live fine in cities like Ortigas and BGC Taguig (both of which are business districts.) I'm a Filipino born and raised, and I lived in the Bay area for a while. I can tell you that unless you go to the slums and bad areas of the Philippines, you have as much a chance to get stabbed and killed in parts of the US such as San Francisco.


Very well said and I fully agree.

Fred


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## bigpearl

Interesting Fred that this post was resurrected and very recently though off the OP's original post does raise many questions totally unrelated. pronse that we haven't seen for some time (excommunicated?) and a one time poster DCTang that retaliated certainly nailed it.
The OP asked for help/opinions and appears to have moved on and hopefully is prospering unlike some. 

A new post with regards to late entrants going off topic, hey don't worry dudes I'm still learning.

Cheers, Steve.


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