r/PinoyOFW

First time posting here and I’m really hoping this reaches the right people.

I’m from the Philippines and I graduated magna cum laude in tourism. I honestly thought that doing well in school would give me a strong start, but it’s been almost a year and I’m still not working in the field.

To be honest, I don’t even consider myself that smart. I just worked really hard and did everything I could to earn that title. Now it feels like effort alone isn’t enough, especially when you don’t have connections or a backer.

Right now, I’ve been trying to find ways to work abroad because I feel like that’s where the better opportunities are, especially if you want to save and support your family. But I’ve been searching for months and I still don’t know where to start or what path is realistic. It’s scary too because I can’t afford to fail.

I’m open to starting small or working my way up, I just don’t know what steps to take or which countries or programs are actually accessible for someone like me.

For those who were in a similar situation, especially from the Philippines, how did you manage to land opportunities abroad? What should I focus on or avoid?

Any advice, experiences, or even a reality check would really mean a lot. I just want to know if I’m heading in the right direction.

Hi, F25, can I ask paano ang pre-employment medical exam for female? do they really check your private area down there? first time ko lang pong magwork sana sa abroad. thank you

F26 never been in a relationship and want to try sex in exhange for money, preserving this virginity is useless, if no one pursues me. Just thinking

Hi everyone.

Gusto ko lang sana humingi ng opinyon at payo, lalo na sa mga dating DepEd teachers at mga nagdesisyong magtrabaho sa ibang bansa.

Teacher I ako sa DepEd at almost 7 years na sa service. Naisip kong mag-resign dahil gusto kong subukan ang mas magandang oportunidad sa abroad, partikular sa UAE. Hindi naging madali ang desisyong ito dahil stable na ang work ko sa DepEd at marami na rin akong nabuo na relasyon sa mga estudyante at kasamahan.

But then, gusto ko ring magkaroon ng mas magandang kita para makatulong sa pamilya at makapag-ipon para sa kinabukasan. Aminado akong natatakot ako sa uncertainty—bagong bansa, bagong trabaho, at panibagong buhay lalo na breadwinner ako.

Gusto ko subukan kung hanggang saan ba ako dadalhin ng ambisyon kong umangat sa buhay. ✨

(July 21, 2026 last day kona sa DepEd)

Any advice and message po 🥹

Hi! I’m a Male, 24 years old, Filipino, a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management with a major in Culinary Science, I graduated college last 2023, and I’m currently unemployed. I only have a year of experience as a barista here in the Philippines but I have a background as a kitchen assistant nung nag ojt po ako sa isang five star hotel dito sa manila. May short background din po ako as a service crew when I trained sa isang kilalang fast food restaurant during our immersion nung senior high school po ako.

I just want to ask kung eligible rin po ba tayong pinoys for a work pass or sa s-pass po ba talaga agad, especially in my case na college graduate po but only has a year of work experience. I’m currently trying to apply sa different job apps ng SG like Glassdoor, Jora Jobs & Jobstreet, even sa sg groups po sa blue app pero still no luck pa din po ngayon. Need ko na din po bang itry mag apply sa Indeed & LinkedIn?

May mas-suggest din po ba kayong agencies here sa Philippines or sa Singapore na pwede pong makatulong sa akin? Super strict po ba talaga ngayon ng quota restrictions sa SG, lalo na sa FnB industry? May chance pa rin po bang mahire yung aspiring Filipinos na gustong makapag work sa bansa like me?

I’m already familiar with the country na din po kasi since I’ve been there twice already, yung last ko po is nung 2024, and I stayed there for almost 2 months since naextend po yung visit pass ko nung nagpunta kami ng Malaysia before my one month pass ends kasi gusto po akong ilibot ni tita sa Malaysia bago ako umuwi ng Pilipinas kasama ng isang Tita ko at nung pinsan ko na anak niya. May close relatives din po kami dun na tinutuluyan namin whenever we visit the country since PR na po siya dun and dun na nakatira kasama yung kids po nila ng Singaporean husband niya.

Thank you po sa mga sasagot! 🙏

Hi! I’m a Filipino, Male, 24 years old and a graduate of college with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management with a major in Culinary Science.

I’ve been trying to seek for job opportunities sa hospitality or food and beverage industry sa Singapore for 2 months now. I’ve been applying everyday sa jobstreet, glassdoor, jora jobs and even sa facebook groups pero still no luck pa din po hanggang ngayon.

Gusto ko lang po sana iask kung may chances pa rin po bang mahire ang Filipinos, especially for someone like me, who requires sponsorship for a pass as a first-timer na gusto mag seek ng opportunities abroad.

I only have a year of experience as a barista at a local cafe here in the Philippines pero may background na rin po ako as a kitchen assistant when I took up my on the job training sa isang five star hotel sa Manila. Nag train na din po ako as a service crew for 2 weeks sa isang fast food restaurant nung nag immersion po kami nung senior high school.

Kaya ko din po napili ang Singapore because I have close relatives there na pwede kong tuluyan once I successfully find an employer sa bansa. Permanent resident na po yung tita ko and yung asawa niya naman po Singaporean. May two kids na rin po sila don hehe. Familiar na din po ako sa Singapore since twice na din po ako nakapunta sa bansa at nakakagala din po ako mag-isa.

Mas better po ba na mag agency ako or mag direct hire na lang? If mag agency man po ako, mas okay po ba na agency dito sa bansa natin or sa Singapore na po? May ma s-suggest po ba kayo na trusted agencies for me na pwede kong makausap? huhu

Please help me po. Desperate na din talaga to work abroad since ang hirap din po talaga maghanap ng work here sa bansa natin, grabe na din po yung transportation system natin at government tapos super baba po ng sahod. Breadwinner din po sa family lalo na ngayon na need na po ng help ng parents ko financially since nagpapa-aral po sila ng tatlo kong kapatid sa college, 2nd year pa lang po silang tatlo ngayon. sabay sabay so hirap din po talaga.

Also a question na din po sa mga OFWs sa Singapore ngayon, mahirap na po ba talaga ang opportunities ngayon para sa ating mga pinoy sa bansa?

Thank you po! 🙏

hi po any advice po, easier way to go to Croatia. I'll get my passport today and I already have a friend there, he's croatian. Naghihintay pa rin po ako sa scholarship ng TESDA for housekeeping but I just wanted to know if theres an agency that does accept without job experience and NCII? or other easier way to land a job in Croatia.

Im F24 and dream ko na po talaga makapagwork abroad. But, what prevents me from doing it is because may namana akong sakit galing sa family ko (liver related). Nakakafrustrate. Pero hindi naman nakakahawa. So I'm asking po, may pag asa pa ba ako?

Hey, so I was wondering baka may alam kayo agency bound to Taiwan or Japan. Suko na sa bansa natin (sa trabho lang naman). Experience is from Hospitality industry mostly. Baka may ma recommend kayo dyan. Appreciate sa mga sasagot! Mwah!

34, Civil engr. 12yrs + exp sa construction and qaqc combined.

San po maganda magwork? Any tips po? Ang baba ng sahod sa Pinas, hirap magbudget, nakakautang pa HAHAHA btw pamilyado na with 1 baby girl.

I work as a teacher. Can I start studying IT then work abroad? Is it too late?

Hello po, I'm genuinely asking po if nagbabakasakali po kasi ako mag abroad dala ng kahirapan. Architecture graduate po ako, at nagbabakasali po ako makapagtrabaho abroad. Nag aapply ako online sa seek/JobStreet accredited naman sila which only in New Zealand nga lang. Ngunit wala papo akong passport/any visa, kaya I'm asking po if accredited po ba sila is nag o-offer poba sila ng sponsored visa? And also baka po may alam kayong paraan or website kahit ibang country para makapag apply. Kahit tips lang po sa ganitong status gaya sakin. Is it possible poba kahit parang probability is gaya ng pagtama sa lotto. Pls guide me and ma-appraciate kopo if magbibigay kayo ng tips o hakbang paanong diskarte gagawin. Drop website narin po if may alam kayo na pwede. Salamat po maa-appraciate kopo lahat ng sasagot.

I am a 22-year-old IT fresh graduate with 6 months of work experience.

Ask ko lang po, what’s the easiest and fastest way to work abroad if money isn’t an issue?

I only have relatives in the UAE and Singapore.

Any country will do po.

Also, if not through a job, what are other possible ways to go to another country and stay there legally? For example, Au Pair, working holiday programs, student visas, etc.

I understand that every option has its own pros and cons, and I’m willing to accept those po. I’m mainly looking for the most straightforward and fastest route po thank you

I’ll be leaving this saturday and everything has just sinked in.

As a first time OFW, independent and carefree person. I never thought it will be this hard.

I won’t be waking up anymore at home seeing my family. I will now start doing everything on my own. I don’t even have chores at home. 🥺

And the most hurtful thing, will be starting a long distance relationship with my long time partner. 😭🥹

You’ll never know how prepared you are pala. 🥲

Saludo po sa lahat ng OFW! 🥹✨

24 Years Old, M, that graduated last year, currently my Mom is at Macau, China, she’s been there since for almost 2 decades, and she told me that if there’s an opportunity job there, she would get me here in the Philippines, and work there.

My situation atm is, while I graduated, I’m building my self, I’m grinding on the gym, trying content creations, and building my portfolio to become a model.

But I’m really confuse and lost what should I choose, because we all know the salary here in the Philippines is so low, Then the salary sa abroad is almost 60k-100k+ kahit regular worker ka lang, plus hindi na ako as in from scratch pag dating ko sa Macau, kasi nandun yung Mom ko to guide me, I think this is my wake up call to realize the reality, that my dreams won’t pay the bills, I’m just so scared that baka mapabayaan ko sarili ko, my physical, my looks, etc. Lalo na I’m so high maintenance sa sarili ko.

And I forgot to mention, my plan talaga is to live with my girlfriend, and start from there, paunti-unti namin mga pangarap namin. And there’s this what ifs na, if I chose this opportunity sa Macau, it will be much better kasi, if nakuha ko siya sa Philippines, and parehas na kami working sa Macau, and parehas kami binata and dalaga, talagang we’ll be financially okay, and dun namin tu-tupadin yung mga pangarap namin, with the guide of my mom, but I have to sacrifice my dreams, of becoming a model.

Sorry if my sentences is mejo ma-gulo, it’s my first time asking for advice here in reddit.

Hi po, I have background in Marketing specially in Digital and Creative side. Saan po ba madalas may opportunities with this background? Ang lagi ko kasi nakikita sa mga agency mga trade skills or talagang shift na lang ng industry ang solution para po makapag-abroad?

Hi guys! I’m planning to purchase a property to my name, but the biggest challenge is as an OFW, I wouldn’t have any co-borrower/attorney-in-fact since all my family and relatives are overseas. I don’t have friends willing to co-borrow for me (which I understand). I really want to have a base in PH whenever I visit. It’s also a way for me to leverage my citizenship. Is there a workaround on this? Salamat !!

Hello po! Meron po ba dito na initially hired directly ng isang Qatari company, tapos naghanap din sila ng PH agency eventually para lang maging legal ang processing natin sa DMW?

Ask ko lang sana, gaano katagal inabot ang buong proseso nyo (ilang weeks or months)? At anu-ano po ang mga dumaang steps o dokumentong pinroseso nyo?

For context: Tapos na po ako sa interview for an office job. Sabi ng employer, ako raw ang kauna-unahang Filipino na ihahire nila overseas. Medyo nagwaworry po kasi ako roon sa Job Order approval. May nabasa ako dito na kapag first-time magpa-process ang isang Qatari company, inaabot daw ng 1 to 3 months ang approval ng Job Order sa MWO/DMW??? Although, yung last na update po sa akin ay waiting na lang raw po sila sa attested documents from PH agency na pinaka-courier for stamping sa Qatar.

Sana may makapag-share ng timeline at experience nila. Thank you po sa sasagot! 

Hi good day po, gusto ko lang po mag ask as i am running 40 this upcoming december may pwede bang maaplyan or malilipatan po? As currently im working here in KSA as store manager, college level lang po ako and for experience mag 11 years n din ako sa fast food service, pero ng iisip ako ng lumipat like factory worker or hospitality server sa japan kasi kng sa salary ko basic+allowance+overtime ay basic lang sa taiwan at japan, ng aalanganin ako dahil sa age kasi nakikita ko up to 35 lang ang limit