Let’s jump back across the world for week 4 of the tour—to the Philippines. This South Asian nation, made of thousands of islands, brought us karaoke, chicken adobo, half of Bruno Mars, and best of all, world-famous boxing senator Manny Pacquiao. It’s a nation of frequent traffic jams, knife-less place settings, and warm, friendly people who appreciate detail and business formal attire in the workplace.
We’re fully under way on our work culture world tour, a video curation quest to experience work cultures in many nations. We invite you to join us, watch out for us on our social channels (#CultureCoordinates) and let us know what these videos get right-or don’t-about working in different countries.
Be polite, even if the internet and government move slooowwly
…’Yes’ could mean ‘maybe,’ and people go with their feelings
Fast Culture Facts for the Philippines
Population:
- 108 million – with a high population density of 363 people per square kilometer.
Employment:
- 42 million employed – with a labor participation rate about the same as the USA’s. Women make up about 38 percent of the workforce.
Economy:
- The Philippines’ GDP is $331 billion, representing about .53 percent of the global economy, and the 5thlargest economy among ASEAN nations. The services sector accounts for 56.2 percent of GDP, followed by industry at 34.2 percent (electronics leads the way in that category) and agriculture and related industries, at 8.9 percent. Tourism, is a significant part of the Philippines’ economy, accounting for 12.7 percent of GDP. A huge area of growth for the nation is its BPO industry, which employs over 1.2 million people.
Workforce Diversity:
- An island geography is responsible for a great many languages and ethnic groups in the Philippines. Tagalog is the largest ethnic group, making up about 28 percent of the country’s population. The nation boasts of being a leader in gender equality, but wage inequality is still an issue. It is still illegal for same-sex couples to marry, to adopt and for people to obtain gender-reassignment surgery. While there are not protections for LGBTQ people in general, there are laws prohibiting employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
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