Hiring a Filipino Virtual Assistant: What US Business Owners Should Know

I’m a Filipino assistant based in Baguio City, and I’ve supported clients in the US, Australia and the UK for 13+ years. This is what I’d tell a friend in the US who was about to hire someone here.

Time zones

The Philippines is 12 or 13 hours ahead of US Eastern time, depending on the season, and the country does not change its clocks. Your morning is our evening.

That can work in your favour. Tasks you send at the end of your day can be finished by the time you wake up. If you need live overlap, ask for it clearly. Many assistants work evenings or nights to match US hours, but not all do.

Communication

English is used in schools, business and government here, so written communication is rarely a problem. Two habits help a lot:

• Be specific. “Reply to routine emails within one working day” is clearer than “keep on top of my inbox”.
• Invite questions. Many Filipino workers are polite to a fault and may hesitate to say they don’t understand. Say plainly that you’d rather be asked.

Pay and how to send it

Rates vary widely with experience and the kind of work. Agree on the rate, the pay schedule and the payment method in writing before the first task. Clients commonly pay through freelance platforms or international transfer services.

You may hear about “13th month pay”. By Philippine law it applies to employees, not independent contractors. Many overseas clients still give it as a year-end bonus, and it is appreciated, but it is your choice.

Holidays

Philippine public holidays differ from US ones. Agree at the start on which holidays your assistant observes. Holy Week and the Christmas season are the ones to plan around.

Internet and power

Typhoon season can bring outages. Ask what backup your assistant has, such as a second internet connection or a nearby co-working space. An experienced assistant will already have a plan.

How to start well

• Begin with a small paid trial task.
• Write down how you like things done.
• Keep tasks and client records in one shared system. I use Tekmatix, so nothing depends on anyone’s memory.
• Check in weekly for the first month.

The bottom line

Hiring in the Philippines works well when expectations are written down early. Sort out hours, pay and holidays in the first conversation, and the rest tends to follow.

Disclosure: the Tekmatix link in this post is my referral link. If you sign up through it, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.