Share
Makati City: living experiences
ReportQuestion
Please briefly explain why you feel this question should be reported.
I am a software developer getting an opportunity in a great company in Makati City, Philippines. I am from Delhi, India. What are the challenges I must prepare myself for, if I relocate in the Philippines?
Answers ( 2 )
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Congratulations on the move. I believe it is the right choice, for several reasons: I've discovered that for the same roles, in the same companies, developers in Philippines are paid more than their counterparts in IndiaInternational experience is always career-boostingI have had Indian colleagues who relocated to the Philippines and after a couple years there were able to relocate to Singapore or elsewhereCosts in the Philippines aren't as high as Singapore or the USThat said, as a Filipino who has worked in an IT multinational (Oracle) for many years, have had very many Indian colleagues (and traveled to India for work on many occasions) you will also encounter some challenges: Even though a Third World country, the Philippines is not as cheap as India. There are no 1-lakh or even 2-lakh cars in Philippines (the cheapest new car would cost perhaps 8-lakh equivalent).Filipinos are compulsive bathers, and consider the natural odor of (many) Indians to be objectionable. You will definitely be discriminated against by Filipino colleagues, customers, partners, etc. if (by Filipino standards) you have "that particular smell" – so daily baths and use of deodorant or perfume will be greatly appreciated. Your Filipino customers will thank you, and your client interactions will be much more productive.Filipinos are overwhelmingly Catholic and love to eat pork, so finding decent vegetarian dishes will be a challenge (I have been advised by Indian colleagues that the majority of Indian restaurants in Manila are terrible). You may be better off cooking your own meals.Many Filipinos find the manner of speaking of certain Indians (particularly North Indians of high caste) to be high-handed and even arrogant. This is a cultural perception but that is how many Filipinos feel. Some sensitivity to this concern would go a long way to smoothing over your interactions with Filipino colleagues etc.I used to live in Salcedo Village.. fifteen years ago. Unfortunately, Salcedo Village is rather expensive. A very good resource for anything local is OLX.ph – Philippines' #1 Buy and Sell Website Here's a link to a search for condo rentals in Salcedo Village. As you can see, the prices are rather eye-watering (note that the INR, which was at parity with the PHP when I left the Philippines in 2009, is now only worth 0.71 PHP as of this writing, August 2015). Condo rent salcedo village For Sale Philippines – Find New And Used condo rent salcedo village On OLX If your company is not paying for your accommodation, you may want to consider living a bit further away to significantly reduce your rentals. If you can privately share your office address, I can probably give some suggestions on where to find cheaper rentals – but note that my knowledge of Makati rentals is at least five years out of date (I do travel to the Philippines 2-3 times a month, but I stay in hotels). Regarding food.. I really cannot say what your costs will be, because if you are vegetarian you can't eat out. You will have to prepare your own food. You can get the costs of raw foodstuffs from here: Prices of rice in the Philippines Rice is about 45 INR per kg, onions about 60 INR per kg. Note that Filipinos eat polished short-grain rice. Basmati rice will be significantly more expensive (at least triple, I suspect). If however you can eat chicken, a Jollibee two-piece chicken meal (a leg and wing, and a cup of rice) costs 147 PHP or 207 INR (Jollibee is the McDonald's of the Philippines, in other words, fast food, but not particularly cheap). Page on jollibee.com.ph There is one more thing – I hope you have factored in the effective tax rate of about 34% in the Philippines – it's the highest tax rate in South East Asia, and your employer is required to withhold income tax from your monthly paycheck. That is, unless your employer has made alternative arrangements for your tax domicile.
Please briefly explain why you feel this answer should be reported.
Aside from the very good points mentioned by Orly Andico, let me also add that working in Makati would require you to face the daily commuter problems. The heavy and unpredictable traffic situation in EDSA – the main road that connects all major business districts in the Philippines. Own a car and you'll still get jammed during rush hours, use the public transportation and you'll probably curse it.. However, a good option would be, to live near your office. So near that the office is walking distance from your apartment/condo.