China-Philippines Ties: China to hire 2,000 Filipino English-language teachers

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02:50

Manila-based manpower agencies are seeing a growing demand from China for Filipino English-language teachers. This after the Chinese government agreed to an initial hiring of 2,000 Filipino workers in the field. CGTN's Barnaby Lo has the story.

Marisol Manlangit has been teaching foreigners English for nine years. She's never taught outside the Philippines, however; her students come to Manila either as expats or specifically to learn English. It's only recently that she's seen an opportunity to teach English abroad.

BARNABY LO MANILA "When it comes to overseas destinations of Filipino workers, top of mind are the Middle East, Japan, Singapore, probably Hong Kong, but not China. That's about to change, however, with an agreement signed between the Chinese and Philippine governments to hire Filipino teachers who would teach English in China."

MARISOL MANLANGIT ENGLISH TEACHER "I was so glad and I said, 'Wow, I have to try.' Yes, because it's really my dream to teach in another country, and in China of course because of the opportunity that could give to Filipino teachers."

At least a thousand US dollars a month is what the teachers could be making, according to Manila-based recruiters who've been contacted by Chinese schools and companies.

MARK KING ECLEVIA MANPOWER ALLIANCE "I think it's because of Duterte."

Since taking office in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has sought closer ties with China. Beijing has pledged billions of dollars in loans, grants, and investments in return, and now, employment.

RICHARD HEYDARIAN POLITICAL ANALYST "It's never a guarantee because if on the ground there's conflict, there's always going to be a negative, but if you have better people-to-people understanding, mutual understanding, then that would actually help to at least avoid escalation."

Mark King Eclevia of Manpower Alliance says they're now getting at least 50 applications a day, but so far, only a handful have the qualifications Chinese employers are looking for. Marisol believes she has what it takes.

MARISOL MANLANGIT ENGLISH TEACHER "With my nine years of experience in teaching and my TEFL degree certification, and my passion for teaching, I have the skills. I have the love for teaching, not only to children but also to adults."

If Marisol makes it to China, she will join the relatively small Filipino population there. But she joins ten million other Filipinos working overseas sacrificing distance to provide better lives for their families.

Barnaby Lo, CGTN, Manila.