Philippines Minimum Wages

Three years is plenty of time for you to seriously Review your BP.
-@Jackson4
   

    -@danfinn

Yes. I am checking my weight and BP. Weight is manageable, BP is out of whack partly due to this project and partly for fear of the unknown.

My analytical mind calculated we are fine, but my primitive instinct is fighting for survival. Please hand me the bottle. 😀

Building in Batangas we pay the Following

Daily Rates , 6 days weekly

Foreman p750

Skilled     p650

Laborer  p450

After 2+ years, 80% Done, lol

My wife built a house 2 years ago. She suggested this is high for a province. She said Google the rate. This is Manila rates. Her house was done in less than 6 months cash.

I don't know, but I trust her. She has built several properties and has passive income. Since meeting her it seems we build every 3 years.

She gets a family member to act as proxy PM and controls every facet of the operation from the USA and does not release money until it is needed and prices at each stage are agreed upon. She is good at telling them no, including family.

    My wife built a house 2 years ago. She suggested this is high for a province. She said Google the rate. This is Manila rates. Her house was done in less than 6 months cash.
I don't know, but I trust her. She has built several properties and has passive income. Since meeting her it seems we build every 3 years.

She gets a family member to act as proxy PM and controls every facet of the operation from the USA and does not release money until it is needed and prices at each stage are agreed upon. She is good at telling them no, including family.
   

    -@vanvalenmikevan

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After notification of a new post, the one above, I had to scroll through 43 posts to read it.

Cheryl any response from the IT Team?

    Building in Batangas we pay the Following
Daily Rates , 6 days weekly
Foreman p750
Skilled     p650
Laborer  p450
After 2+ years, 80% Done, lol
   

    -@vehicross100

Sounds pretty good as long as your foreman is good.

After 2 years 80% done? I thought we were bad at 18 months and 90% complete,,,,, I am looking at the wages book now and we started July 2022 building the bunk house, bathroom and kitchen for the workers, accommodates 7 workers plus one in a spare B/R in the house, big size and took 6/7 weeks,,,,, now the workers are gone I wonder what we will do with that building.

As for wages I am on the ground and the boss and direct the symphony with no pay, no foreman, yes skilled 650 per day once proven, were 600. Labourers were 450 but we upped that to 500 as they work their tits off and appreciate the extra. Electrician 700, plumber contract, glass and wood work contract. My better half we pay him 500 per day for his tireless work managing the books/finances, helping to laisse with the workers, orders and stock, phone calls,  controls advance pays as well as groceries for lunch and half the time will cook for 10/12 workers while I try to run the house, washing/cleaning and cook the evening meal. He also puts up with my dummy spits and generally sees the stuff ups the workers create.

We have had no workers here for 3 weeks now aside from the glass/aluminium company and an A/C company and I'm sure my B/P is coming down, breathing time. Still wall tiles and the plumber for fit off, black out curtains, move in, get a care taker and go on a holiday.

Labour here is cheap given what they accomplish, materials are the killer.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Yes our foreman is good, had him since day 1, he does everything from electrical & plumbing to painting. We only deal with him, we dont meddle in who he hires or fires. He has fired many locals here when they don't measure up.

Not just a simple build, Its a 3 Story,

(280-300 Sqm range) so yeah, all those columns, patios and foundation floors, etc took much time, lots of Rebar Manpower and Money...We down to details, painting, hinges, railing etc, so just a 3 man crew now.

Shoot back on days when we poured the 3 floors we would be around 20 guys plus mixer, that 2nd and 3rd floor would be like a 30K+ day carrying all that concrete up, food, materials etc

@vehicross100

Only a 230/240M2 build here and all ground floor adding to the 150M2 existing home including a 55M2 garage, separate bunk house with kitchen and bathroom for 7/8 workers @40M2 on top. Building up costs money but if you don't have the land there is little choice. Our fence 8/9 ft high mounted to a decent amount of pesos as the overall height with foundations amounted to 16 ft of wall then rendered in and out.

Overall including an 11.4 Kw solar array and 40Kw of batteries, 2 x 5kw invertors we are under 6.5M, to finish another 500K or less.

Wages were the small costs, material as you know are the killer.

Cheers, Steve.

Midway it appeared like we were doing good at average 15K/m2, but now at the end with so many details coming up and no end in sight, we will probably be closer to 20-21K/m2 when completed.

    Midway it appeared like we were doing good at average 15K/m2, but now at the end with so many details coming up and no end in sight, we will probably be closer to 20-21K/m2 when completed.
   

    -@vehicross100

Matters little at those costs as long as you achieve what you and you lady desire.

If I do the sums for our overall construction would be around P17 to 18K per M2 system, removing the solar system @ 1.4M and I've included 100 lineal Meters of concrete fencing on 2 boundaries.

Going up costs more and I think at even P25K per M2 you have achieved your goal.

Now enjoy as we are trying to do, wall tiling and 3 bathrooms to fit off but almost there.

To the OP minimum or maximum wages are in essence chicken sh1t and probably only make up 20% of the construction cost based on our experience.

Pay your maid 5K per month and that's what you get, pay 6/8K and you get better.

OMO.

Cheers, Steve.

@mugteck

This is a fine line to walk that has concerned me for sometime.... I don't have my home yet but been thinking of this for a while.  Balance paying staff well and not upsetting the community.  I am curious how others have balanced this.

Thanks

@bigpearl

Congratulations on having everything done more or less... I am envious and look forward to being there.  I also plan on being onsite nearly everyday for the reasons you said.... however, I have no construction background especially for the types of building done here verses Canada where I have built a few houses.  (paid a builder and just watched it get done).

Any advice for a non construction guy to look for when overseeing... I get the obvious, measurement, quality bricks and higher cement ratio in concrete mix.  Did you buy your bricks or have them made. 

Yes I plan to have the architect or construction manager oversee but I will be there with the cash and eyes.

Donald

Thanks Don.

Not done yet but 90% there and no hurry.

I think firstly after your touring around (hope you are enjoying) you will need to consider where to live, perhaps rent for some time so you have the options to move around if not happy there. Committing to a long term lease and building takes balls and finding the right place is critical as time, money and plenty of patience will be needed.

Remember Don there is no hurry, we looked for 4 years before purchasing here, it took near 3 years to encumber the title with the lease but I went through that for long term security, never sure what tomorrow will bring.

As for advice on construction? With no or little experience you will need a good set of plans and a construction manager that you can trust implicitly, depending on the complexity of your build you may need to keep the architect/draftsman on a site visit and pay basis. Or simply close your eyes and have it contracted with the proviso that you can be onsite. The later will be draw downs on the contract price through its progression and the prime contractor organizes food and sleeping arrangements  or as in Bens and my case a lot of management with material prices (yes we shopped around) perfect book keeping both wages and material. If you go this way be prepared for snacks and plenty of water twice a day, lunch, perhaps accommodation for the workers, cooking lunch for the crew, pay advances and keep records daily. First aid, health and safety is a big one too, don't know how many times I have slapped the guys for doing stupid unsafe things and perhaps the worst was eye and ear protection, PPE supplied in abundance with a constant reminder, safety inductions and follow ups on a weekly basis as well as talking through with the guys the plans for the week ahead and yes you do need to do this or they can get lost in the enormity of the overall construction.

Honestly Don I could not have handled this by myself and Ben was perfect, my backstop, interpreter in Tagalog and Ilocano, phone calls, shopping and patting me on the head to pull my horns in.

We have probably saved P 1M+ managing it ourselves, got what we want and the bonus has been for near 2 years has kept me off the streets.

I know this is long winded but probably on reflection we already had a 3 bed/2 bath home on the beach.... was there a need to extend/build so lavishly? Probably not but hey it looks good and designed to close the old house off from the new unless extra guests.

Take your time Don.

Cheers, Steve.

Thanks Steve, not long winded at all, I appreciate every comment.

I have patience but not patience to sit around for 4 years deciding which place is right.  This may be an error on my part but the life I want here is not a rental, I like to putter in my garden, dip in my pool and drink wine or coffee on the deck every waking hour.  I am also considering building a pickle ball court if the lot has room

Now i need to find a good group of local or expats who like to play board games or poker... without gambling.  I don't enjoy seeing people loose money and I don't gamble unless i have a perfect hand, lol.

I have found a few places I am considering and I am heading back to Dauin to look a little better before I decide to choose lots on Cebu Island.  Each place has plus and minus.... been weighing options for months now.  I wish i had your patience Steve... hot did you sit it out for four years... much respect for you having that self control.  I am single... I will have to do your role and Bens role... well maybe i wont be single once I start building, lol.  Maybe I will.

Donald

Don, the old saying? Fools rush in. I thought you already had your property picked out up on the hill with ocean views?

Finding a lot or property where the owner is prepared to do a 25 + 25 year lease is like trying to find hens teeth, it's for sale or not. I looked at condos in Manila to purchase and after the experiences there being a country boy chose a back water province as some say.

Always remember Don and we have chatted about this before, you as a foreigner will never own land here, Buildings and  improvements sure but never the land it all sits on. Research and do it well, don't get burnt.

As for sitting around? Never, we were both working in Australia and visited here once or twice a year for family and property,,,,,, so many disappointments but the years of patience secured our winner.

Slow down and look around, smell the roses and the stinky gutters, In/when looking at retirement there is no hurry, enjoy the chase.

Cheers, Steve.

@AlbertaDonuts

Let me add a few things on. Patience is a virtue and we weren't sitting around for 4/5 years as we were both working in Australia and planning, looking, building assets and trying to eventually make the correct decision as the intention was long term until I snuff it, no more moves. This will be where I push up the daisy's as they say.

We eyed this property for years but it was a little further north than we were looking and I felt the price was too high but over those years we watched the price go down and eventually met the owner/builder (Canadian guy) some 7 years ago and negotiated and purchased,,,,, he needed to get out for settlement with his Filipina wife.

Before we signed and Ben hated me for this, we came here 3 to 4 times a day even 9pm (we were in San Juan so only 10 minutes away) not in the house but the street/s and looked, listened and chatted with locals both foreign and Filipino before I was happy to go ahead. 

Different for you as you are single but being partnered we needed to consider family and friends but not too close, a trade off.

I suppose for all it's easy to move around from state to state, property to property but in my older years simply want my resting spot without a further move and enjoy, 4/5 years here now I have no regrets and very glad we did the research both on the ground and internet.

Wages here while chicken sh1t for us helps support the families and community. Bens family run a sari store and the workers we employed here for 18 months were able to pay off their debts to the store and a few even managed to purchase motorbikes.

I would rather pay a live in worker/caretaker 7/8K per month if trusted than 5K per month and have them clean you out at some point. Pay peanuts and you get monkeys. You simply need to advise your workers not to gossip (tsismis).

Pay them well and they excel.

I'm not sure how much of the Philippines you have seen Don and while a small country has plenty to offer. Pottering in the garden can be accomplished renting or owning (condos aside). I've yet to hear how you plan to purchase and build in this country. Many years of research led to leasing from Ben.

Enough for now and sorry to bore other readers that have been there.

Cheers, Steve.

@bigpearl

Your post put a big smile on my face,  My friend, mentor and original boss in TV had a moto..."pay peanuts, get monkeys".  You are speaking to the choir.  I plan to take care of my staff well and reap the benefits from that... it also is incumbant on me being a visitor here and having many advantages being born and raised in a developed world economy.

I have been planning this for 10 years now and boots on the ground in 5 visits over that time... it would have been a couple more but covid made travel a non starter.  I hope to not make any mistakes and not rush but also have limited patience... I want to be sipping wine on my deck overlooking the pool and beautiful ocean view.  Is that too much to ask.  lol.

I always appreciate your insight and thought proving comments.  Thanks

Donald

I believe in Richard Banson's concept of staff.  "Take care of your staff and they will take care of your customers."  or Take care of your staff and they will take care of you.

Perhaps your next trip Don could take in Luzon, a big Island with lots to see and do before you put roots down south.

True I had a reason to settle here but I have travelled a lot around Visayas and Luzon, even Palawan for a couple of weeks and while all beautiful in their different ways, not yet ventured to Mindanao yet but will get there but for us here is home.

Cheers, Steve.