General Info

[Frenzy3]

Hrm courses can cost 10k per month, for all the activities they do. Every time I meet a girl who says she is doing the course I get her number as I know she will need money. One of my gf switched from hrm to commerce which will help her get a job in the bank, I told her not no move in if she did Hrm. The others do IT and also doing real IT work so they have hands on experiance.

[GoodEnough]

I know the GM of one of Davao's larger and best known hotels reasonably well. He told me that most of the HRM graduates he interviews are "useless," as they spend four years learning how to fold napkins and make beds; skills, he said, that he could teach them in a week. He also told me that they arrive knowing nothing about management, administration, accountancy and utterly lacking in the skill sets that are required for real hotel management. Their career path, he told me, is to remain waitresses.

In most of the universities with which I'm familiar, HRM is just another link in the chain of endless tertiary-level rip-offs perpetrated on naive, young students who just don't now any better.

GE

[Marconista]

D Cups.

I think HRM in this respect means Hotel and Restaurant Management.

Hi Red,

Cooking, making beds and folding napkins? Surely this is not the Filipino interpretation of HRM! Don't they teach recruitment, training or any of the other HR functions?

[Econo Tech]

Hi Red,

Cooking, making beds and folding napkins? Surely this is not the Filipino interpretation of HRM! Don't they teach recruitment, training or any of the other HR functions?

Ah. Errr. Hmm. HRM. Hotel Restaurant Management LOL. A Filipino term. Like the "under graduates" meaning those who never finished their basic degree.

Relatedly, what do the crminology graduates do for work if they don't get into the police academies?

Oh, you should see the number of Criminal psychology or similar graduates, in Philippines. Well.

As for the nurses, sad stats indeed. I am still on the hunt for a busty young nurse but may have to change that to doctor given their watered down educational system. Assuming a pretty MD would be interested in a guy like me.

Not too hard to do that my friend. Ask me. Haha. Maybe my strategy worked.

The agency did not explain her anything and kept her passport and told her she is hired and needs process of Medical tests, Phi government approval etc and told her she has to pony up 23, 000 pesos which includes agency fee.

What you told is pretty common, and often enough Filipinos will never challenge "government orders" and that includes the order to pay up agency fee or you are a illegal worker / trafficked victim. Etc. Etc.

If not all, most of the agencies are owned or controlled by some senator or their relatives, and it is next to impossible to get a new agency license and get officially released work orders for recruitment. Well, even the scam is so big, all hospitals in Singapore have been instructed that if they bypass an agency and do direct hire, the candidate could be charged for violating law X, Y or Z. In other words, make them forego upto 6 months pay.

What you describe is all too typical and what is worse is that the pinoys at the agency know this. All they do is rip off and scam their fellow county men and then claim innocence when the girl complains (after she has found out she has a huge pay cut etc on arrival)

That is not going to change. Almost it is legally sanctioned scamming. Forcing poor folks like maids to undergo medical for HIV + this and that, all results out in 2 hours flat, and well, the results are NOT accepted in the other end. So the people have to under another test. Another cost.

Like a case of a OFW who was found to have TB, even though she had paid 10, 000 peso for 'complete' medical in Manila, which declared her to be perfectly fit.

[Frenzy3]

There are cases of agents like this now getting charged, I not sure how long ago sammon experianced this but the last year this sort of agency have been making the news with the owners going to gaol.

[Wicked Roger]

The agency did not explain her anything and kept her passport and told her she is hired and needs process of Medical tests, Phi government approval etc and told her she has to pony up 23, 000 pesos which includes agency fee.

They did not even tell her about salary, flight tickets, accomodation.

Anyway she told me flight tickets and accomodation are provided for 2 year contract and salar is 10, 000 pesos. I balked at her saying 10, 000 pesos is not even enough to feed herself let alone sending money home.

So she went and talked to the saudi guy but he refused to pay more. Obviously they have enough girls ready to do the job at any salary.

Maybe once they get middleeast experience they can find better paying jobs.

What you describe is all too typical and what is worse is that the pinoys at the agency know this. All they do is rip off and scam their fellow county men and then claim innocence when the girl complains (after she has found out she has a huge pay cut etc on arrival)

It is now illegal in Saudi to hold the passport (as stated by the Labour Minister in the press a few months ago)

Many of the recruits do not have any basic knowledge of their right and are easily exploited both by the agencies (who want the fee) and the employer. As you said, some (at this time African) will work for that or less.

I know of agents who don't charge a fee and I always recommend the girls see that company as then no false promises and broken dreams. And there is plenty of that when it comes to recruitment firms in PI and the Middle East

[Sammon]

ET. You comment about OFWs and salaries is applicable in the Middle East especially the UAE. What is worse, the employers know this and drive the salaries down as well knowing that another pinay will take the job. In a country with a high cost of living.

Also for nursing salaries are trending down in the Middle East for the same reason even though they have to pass another exam before they are qualified to work.

The sari sari issues is alwasy raised by girls I meet, all seem to think this is the way to progress or the Uday Uday business. Very few succeed as they don't have a clue about running a small business. The concept of startting from the botom seems to be accepted / understood but when there some don't like it!

Psychology for interpreting personalities is a good idea and is something we discussed yesterday RK. Although most would know that if they are cute, that we want to shag them. LOL

This remind me of a situation. My GF from Leyte who is 22 years old was staying with me for a week in Manila. I told her there are many hiring places for jobs in middleeast. So we set off and I told her to go in by herself because I do not want girls there to get a wrong opinion on her. I waited in the nearby Internet cafe. She was asked to fill out application and was interviewed. Some guy from Saudi came looking for cleaners in hospital and hired her.

The agency did not explain her anything and kept her passport and told her she is hired and needs process of Medical tests, Phi government approval etc and told her she has to pony up 23, 000 pesos which includes agency fee.

They did not even tell her about salary, flight tickets, accomodation.

So I went with her to talk to agency head boss. I told her I am a friend of her father. I doubt if I fooled her?

Anyway she told me flight tickets and accomodation are provided for 2 year contract and salar is 10, 000 pesos. I balked at her saying 10, 000 pesos is not even enough to feed herself let alone sending money home.

So she went and talked to the saudi guy but he refused to pay more. Obviously they have enough girls ready to do the job at any salary.

Maybe once they get middleeast experience they can find better paying jobs.

[D Cups]

Hi Red,

Cooking, making beds and folding napkins? Surely this is not the Filipino interpretation of HRM! Don't they teach recruitment, training or any of the other HR functions?

Relatedly, what do the crminology graduates do for work if they don't get into the police academies?

As for the nurses, sad stats indeed. I am still on the hunt for a busty young nurse but may have to change that to doctor given their watered down educational system. Assuming a pretty MD would be interested in a guy like me.

I discussed an HRM student's curriculum with her recently and it was "setting tables", folding table napkins, correct way to serve different dishes, how to make beds, etc.

I am not joking.

Thankfully, some schools also include psychology and economics type programs so that students learn a framework for interpreting personalities and maybe some money management "skills" for when they open their own sari sari store because it is unlikely that they will get employment in any high end hotel unless they are prepared to start as a qualified room maid / boy.

[Wicked Roger]

Nice thoughtful post E T. You made some good points, especially the one about pinoy OFWs pushing down wages by being prepared to work for peanuts.

Thankfully, some schools also include psychology and economics type programs so that students learn a framework for interpreting personalities and maybe some money management "skills" for when they open their own sari sari store because it is unlikely that they will get employment in any high end hotel unless they are prepared to start as a qualified room maid / boy.

ET. You comment about OFWs and salaries is applicable in the Middle East especially the UAE. What is worse, the employers know this and drive the salaries down as well knowing that another pinay will take the job. In a country with a high cost of living.

Also for nursing salaries are trending down in the Middle East for the same reason even though they have to pass another exam before they are qualified to work.

The sari sari issues is alwasy raised by girls I meet, all seem to think this is the way to progress or the Uday Uday business. Very few succeed as they don't have a clue about running a small business. The concept of startting from the botom seems to be accepted / understood but when there some don't like it!

Psychology for interpreting personalities is a good idea and is something we discussed yesterday RK. Although most would know that if they are cute, that we want to shag them. LOL

[Econo Tech]

I discussed an HRM student's curriculum with her recently and it was "setting tables", folding table napkins, correct way to serve different dishes, how to make beds, etc.

I am not joking.

Then again, I did provide shelter to two girls, who were working in KL Sheraton as front desk staff, and came down for a visa run and had got royally screwed by a fellow Filipino having been parked in a expensive hotel till they realised they were broke within two days, once the bills were piled up.

Me goes to work and comes back home, damn, the two girls had really set the whole apartment like hotel. Rearranged the tables, sofas, heck, even my bedsheet were folded hotel style, and properly tucked in, and so was the toilet stuff and all. Somehow the two girls did all the heavy lifting, rearranging and all. And it was a minor miracle that the two women could work as a team.

Ah, yes, the HRM course does help if you get the girl in the right mood I guess. If not. Well, we all know what happens when a pinay goes mental.

[Red Kilt]

HRM is on the way down, with depressed salaries, due to the Degree mills.

Nice thoughtful post E T. You made some good points, especially the one about pinoy OFWs pushing down wages by being prepared to work for peanuts.

HRM is still a very good option for those who can afford the high end training schools (those that advertise in the glossy magazines like "Appetite" and others) but the fees are way out of reach of anybody but the wealthiest filipinos. These schools teach advanced cooking skills at international level, and some celebrities have gained publicity when they graduated from them.

For the rest, who are in the degree mills in the local second-rate cheaper tertiary programs, it is low-end training that will equip a graduate to be a waiter, drink attendant or hotel room maid.

I discussed an HRM student's curriculum with her recently and it was "setting tables", folding table napkins, correct way to serve different dishes, how to make beds, etc.
I am not joking.
Thankfully, some schools also include psychology and economics type programs so that students learn a framework for interpreting personalities and maybe some money management "skills" for when they open their own sari sari store because it is unlikely that they will get employment in any high end hotel unless they are prepared to start as a qualified room maid / boy.

[Econo Tech]

The new "hot" ticket out of the Philippines appears to be HRM, which is drastically over-enrolled relative to the number of decent jobs available with overseas hotel chains.

HRM is on the way down, with depressed salaries, due to the Degree mills.

Atleast in Singapore, now you can place Pinoys with HRM Degree, for salaries less than 500 US$. The balance going to the placement agency and who-else is officially ripping the OFW off. And guess for what job?

Serving drinks, cleaning floors.

Oh, well, last week I was in a coffee shop and two pinays have replaced the Chinese aunty, and while the Chinese aunty serves like 600 cups of tea an hour these girls are like 60 an hour. And had a little chit chat. The two pinays are engaged as "Management Trainees" as part of their HRM course. And guess the salary? 600 US$ a month after all deduction. Which is a far cry from the minimum of 1, 800 S$ Stipulated by the Singapore Govt.

As somebody said, the 'remittance' culture is dooming Philippines and it is just a matter of time before the whole thing implodes.

First Nursing, then Call center, now HRM. Well.

I was amused when I saw the Philippine Govt begging the Czech Minister of something. To employ Filipinos, when the Czech republic itself has a high unemployment apart from a slowing population. It was like "you guys have nobody to beg for job, now you go an beg the poor cousins of Europe."

Oh, one proud thing to state for PNoy, when it comes to FIiipinos in Singapore is, that, now Professionals outnumber Maids in Singapore. It seems. Only if he knew the local tensions considering how much the Pinoys have depressed local wages by going cheaper and cheaper.

I know atleast one PNB Bank manager now working as a counter staff in Singapore. For a better salary than she got back home. And a Dow Jones Senior Analyst who was proud of is 'eighteen hundred dollar' pay. A job which no other country guys would accept for anything less than 6,000 $ or more.

[X Man]

Thanks for that D33. I have an old squeeze who went to Europe for a year but is now back in Cebu working mostly as a volunteer. I thought that was odd, but your post makes it easier to understand.

I just watched a news report on the BBC about Philippine nursing students. Now 200, 000 without a job and 80, 000 new graduates adding to that number. Lots of families sold land or buffalo to put the daughter through school as an investment which now won't pay off. USA has practically stopped giving visas and Europe isn't hiring due to economic downturn. Many are just volunteering in Philippine hospitals without pay.

[GoodEnough]

I just watched a news report on the BBC about Philippine nursing students. Now 200, 000 without a job and 80, 000 new graduates adding to that number. Lots of families sold land or buffalo to put the daughter through school as an investment which now won't pay off. USA has practically stopped giving visas and Europe isn't hiring due to economic downturn. Many are just volunteering in Philippine hospitals without pay.

The trend in nursing enrollmments is steadily downward, as knowledge of the long odds against eventual overseas work have percolated slowly through the student community. Likewise, CHED has closed more than a few nursing programs in questionnable degree mills since the latter consistently failed to produce graduates who passed the licensure examinations. The new "hot" ticket out of the Philippines appears to be HRM, which is drastically over-enrolled relative to the number of decent jobs available with overseas hotel chains. Another major hurdle for those aspiring to leave the country is the lack of English proficiency. Most aspiring nuurses cannot achieve the needed scores on the IELTS or the TOEFL, and the failure to do so precludes them from working in most English-speaking countries.

GE

[Slippery]

I just watched a news report on the BBC about Philippine nursing students. Now 200, 000 without a job and 80, 000 new graduates adding to that number. Lots of families sold land or buffalo to put the daughter through school as an investment which now won't pay off. USA has practically stopped giving visas and Europe isn't hiring due to economic downturn. Many are just volunteering in Philippine hospitals without pay.

But only a small percentage of the graduates actually pass the licensing exam; something like 20% or less. Then there are the others that never get the funds together for review course and actual course fees. Their degrees however, do open opportunities for unrelated employment such as call centers where many unlicensed nurses work and many call centers pay higher than the actual employment the unlicensed nurses were trained for. Many see the nursing program as a ticket to the west, the land of milk and honey where the streets are paved with gold. Most though, stumble along the way and never get up.