3 out of 4 Filipinos prefer to work in hometowns

BELIEVE IT or not but more Filipinos prefer working in their hometowns than move elsewhere in the country like Metro Manila for more promising employment opportunities.

Results of an online survey showed that three out of four locally employed Filipinos would accept jobs in their home region rather than work in another part of the country.

Two out of three Filipinos are also currently working in their localities, according to the survey results.

The survey was conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the online employment company JobStreet.com Philippines.

The results were presented Monday by JobStreet.com Philippines country manager Philip Gioca at the DOLE media forum series.

Gioca said the online survey, conducted in the fourth quarter of last year, involved “a good mix” of 31,000 registered jobseekers  working in the Philippines and abroad.

Of that number, 66 percent were working in the Philippines, the majority of whom were based in their localities. They cited family, working environment and culture, and work-life balance as main reasons for opting for local jobs.

Only the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) registered the highest number of residents who would rather find jobs outside of their hometowns, with only one out of three, or 33 percent, willing to stay and work locally.

The study also revealed that respondents from Central Visayas were the most satisfied with job opportunities in their area, with 90 percent saying they would prefer to stay and work within the region than elsewhere in the country.

Among the other regions that scored high in terms of workers preferring local jobs were Davao Region with 85 percent; Northern Mindanao, 79 percent; Western Visayas, 74 percent; and Caraga Region, 75 percent.

The study also showed that 93 percent of respondents currently employed in Metro Manila preferred to stay in the capital, while five percent said they would consider jobs in other parts of the country.

“The purpose of the study is to find out whether there are jobs in the Philippines, especially in the townships, and the results are saying that we have jobs in our localities,” Gioca told reporters.

The study showed that the trend highly depended on the age, the position level and the educational attainment of the workers.

Older, more educated and experienced workers prefer to work locally. Those who have climbed up the corporate ladder are also most likely to be satisfied with local jobs, according to the survey.

“Basically, the trend here is that the younger the workers are, the more they want to explore outside their homes and abroad,” Gioca said.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the results of the study were consistent with the thrust of the Aquino administration to provide  Filipino workers with local jobs as much as possible.

“It’s a good and welcome study that would indicate that many Filipinos still want to work here in the country,” she said in an interview.