According to Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello III, an estimated 4 to 5 million Filipinos will be unemployed following the nationwide lockdown implemented to curb the spread of the contagious coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
While onsite job opportunities struggle because of the unforeseen impact of the pandemic, remote jobs or those that allow employees to work from home see an increasing interest among the Filipinos seeking for new job opportunities.
Apart from industries, the education sector was also affected, leading the Department of Education to endorse online learning to students as face-to-face teaching isn’t possible given the current situation.
E-learning is what 51Talk, the largest online English education company in China promotes. The company claims that there is a current shortage of 500,000 foreign English language teachers in China.
It currently has 10 million registered students and has more than 20,000 partner teachers in the Philippines. In 2020, 51Talk needs 30,000 more teachers.
According to 51Talk CEO and founder Jack Huang, the outbreak can be seen as a “turning point” in the online education industry.
“With the exploding demand for English-speaking teachers in China, there is probably never been a better time than right now to teach English online.” Huang said.
Online teaching is also a decent-paying job. According to 51Talk, their teachers in the Philippines have an average monthly salary of PHP 50,600.
Their appeal for Filipinos to join the company as online English teachers was further augmented with the company’s social media campaign. One particular post which generated attention among social media users contain a quote from Huang,
“If the pandemic took your job, then 51Talk can offer you a new one,” said Huang through the video, adding that “There is probably never been a better time than right now to teach English online.”
Huang adds that Filipinos have natural advantages to online English teachers.
“The Philippines is one of the best English-speaking countries in Asia. Filipino teachers have standard American pronunciation. More than 1 million Filipinos work at call centres in the United States,” he said.
“All you need is a stable internet connection, a laptop, a built-in or external webcam, a headset, and a quiet space to teach,” Huang added.
Interested to be an online teacher? Visit 51Talk’s website and follow their official social media accounts.
Karina is not your ordinary supermom. She juggles her time bonding with her three amazing kids while being in the loop on the latest happenings in the tech and lifestyle scene. Follow me on Instagram (@digitalfilipina) regularly visit www.digitalfilipina.com for daily dose of updates not just for moms but for everyone!
