The best Filipino Software Developers are headed for Singapore

An article at the Inquirer last night revealed that Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) has expressed alarm over the rampant recruitment of Filipino software professionals by Singaporean companies. Migs, opened up the discussion at PTB: Can Pinoy Software Companies Stop the Exodus to Singapore?

The obvious answer is no. And we all know why.

An old friend and high school classmate is going to work in Singapore in two weeks. That, after over 4 years working at a semicon company in Cavite paying him a measly 15k a month. Half a dozen other friends and former officemates are already in Singapore with starting salaries in the range of Php80,000 and up. Another friend and schoolmate has been working for a hardware (hint: camera, printers, etc.) company for 6 years since he graduated and has worked in their Japan office half the time but until now, he hasn’t reached the 6-figure salary. I told him, if he’d look for a similar job in Singapore, he’ll easily get double or triple of what he gets now.

The sad thing is — this is not an isolated case in the tech industry in the Philippines. So many other sectors have been going thru this mass exodus for decades. Need I enumerate the number of nurses, engineers and teachers flying out to other parts of the world seeking for a better paying job? During my visits to Taiwan, Pakistan and Indonesia, I’d always get a nice smile from people telling me Filipinos are all over. I’d laugh and reply half-joking that our biggest industry is exporting people all over the world.

Is there a way around this? I certainly hope. If the government and the private sector can’t do anything about it, the individual should. My aunts and uncles (including my mom) would always use to budge me to go and find a job in the US and I’d always say no. Told them, I’ll show you one can make a good living staying in the Philippines. One just needs to be more enterprising.

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

49 Comments

Miguel says:

18 years ago

The companies could also help by providing a better work environment and giving value to developers (Alistair’s comment). As for the pay, they could compete if they get more high value work.

Few people are as entrepreneurial as you, bossing!
- Reply
Mindanao Bob says:

18 years ago

Doing something like software development is a worldwide industry. When you develop a piece of software you can sell it worldwide, not just in the Philippines. Because of this, there is no reason that a Philippine company cannot provide a better salary to it’s employees! For example, a Philippine company has the opportunity to earn just as much from the software as the Singaporean company does – because they can sell it to clients all over the world. If they can both ear the same amount of money, they are playing on equal ground, and the Philippine company has ever possibility to offer the same pay the the Singaporean company does.

Offer a Filipino the same salary if he works here in the Philippines as he gets in Singapore – 99 out of 100 will stay here and not go abroad! The PSIA should be able to figure that out!
- Reply
www.animomedia.com says:

18 years ago

This line encourages me more ” Told them, Iâ€™ll show you one can make a good living staying in the Philippines. One just needs to be more enterprising. ” Thats why I’m still here in the Philippines, You’re right Yuga! Technology itself will help us earn more income. Everything is on the net, you’ll just have to be on the track.
- Reply
BrianB says:

18 years ago

Again, unethical. Sure the money’s great but there’s no bribe on earth under a million pesos that will make me forget you need to give two weeks notice.

Once I resigned and went to another company the same day but only because my ex boss invited me to leave any time I want. And I’m not even a programmer or a manager, I was highly dispensable.

But besides the two weeks notice, it’s natural for workers to go where they pay you 5 times your salary here. We’re in the kind of muck we’re in right now because the business sector does not INVEST in INNOVATIONS and INNOVATORS. Singapore expects constant innovations from their employees. and would pay a lot for your skills and talent because they know the return is exponential. Di lang talaga marurunong mga capitalist natin dito. Again it’s that haciendero mentality. Pano gaganda trabaho sa pinas kung puro outsourcing at retail trabaho? At pano tataas ang sweldo kung trabaho napakababa?
- Reply
BrianB says:

18 years ago

75-year-oldwoman has 40Gbps Internet connection

http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9750949-7.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20
- Reply
franz says:

18 years ago

yeah. my classmate’s brother who studied in UPLB and graduated BSCS is working in Singapore. Gets paid 80k monthly.
- Reply
dennis agulo says:

18 years ago

There are still many left, that I know of, here in Pinas who earns more compared to working in Singapore.

You just wouldn’t find them on company offices.
- Reply
Abe Olandres says:

18 years ago

Yeah, you’re right Dennis, most of what I know stays at home and work for offshore companies. They need not go out to earn dollars.
- Reply
es-i-ow says:

18 years ago

Web developers can also make it on their own. No need to go out the country to earn dollars or work under any company.

Some proof:
http://img519.imageshack.us/my.php?image=junedc7.gif
http://img521.imageshack.us/my.php?image=julysb7.gif

And those were just from google adsense. You can make more from other sources
- Reply
Eugene says:

18 years ago

Hooray for staying in the country! :-)
- Reply