It is impossible to avoid working from home in the Philippines now. It doesn’t matter if you are a virtual assistant dealing with emails of your US client, a customer service agent taking calls of an Australian company, or a freelancer who does graphic design jobs – your gear is your business. When you lose connection while having a client call, when your laptop crashes in the middle of work or when a brownout takes you offline before the deadline – this is not just about trouble. This is a professional issue which may cause you to lose clients and revenue.
The best part of the story is that you don’t have to think like a company in order to work as a pro. The knowledge of how to make a proper choice, along with a set of priorities, will help you to build up a professional workplace without spending too much money. This guide will explain the key points to consider.
Start With the Right Computer
Your PC is where it all starts from. No matter how good the speed of your internet connection or the sound quality of your headphones are, the machine you have should be able to cope with the load. However, “perfect” does not necessarily equal “expensive.”
A PC you will need for most remote jobs (virtual assisting, data entry, transcription, customer service, tutoring, or even basic graphic design) is not supposed to be a top-of-the-line gaming machine nor a new flagship laptop. What you actually require is a reliable, decently fast PC which won’t overheat and crash on you in the middle of your shift.
What to Look For
The bare minimum requirements would be an Intel Core i5 (7th generation or newer) or an AMD Ryzen 5 chip, at least 8 GB of RAM, and an SSD (solid-state drive) instead of the regular hard drive. The latter item is particularly important and is something that people tend to overlook. Simply having an SSD will do wonders for an old computer since it will decrease its boot time, speed up file processing, and minimize multitasking lag. Between two laptops of equal specifications, except that one has an SSD, the other one does not, go for the SSD.
Budget Tiers
If you have limited budget under ₱15,000 then your only way out is to purchase a used or refurbished laptop from a reliable seller. PC Express, Octagon and Villman sell refurbished units, and in addition, on Lazada and Shopee there are sellers selling their refurbished laptops. Exercise caution, however, and insist on getting a written list of all the specifications of the laptop you want to buy, make sure the battery works properly and if it is possible, try using it. It is possible to find a used i5 laptop with SSD and 8GB of RAM within the price range of ₱10,000 – ₱14,000.
If your budget is between ₱18,000 and ₱30,000, you can easily afford to purchase a new but cheap and reliable laptop which will last you for 3 to 4 years of work if you treat it well. The brands that can provide you with such a device are, among others, Acer, ASUS and Lenovo.
What else should you know about a good laptop – if your work implies video conversations with your clients, make sure your laptop has a functional webcam or that you can afford buying a cheap external one, as most clients do not.
A Headset or Microphone That Does Its Job
Quality audio is one of the most underappreciated components of a proper remote working environment. If you will be doing business on calls with customers or clients, they should be able to understand you well. A muffled voice, background noise or mic that turns you into some deep-water creature will only affect your professional reputation, despite your high-quality performance.
You don’t necessarily need an expensive microphone for most remote jobs. You need a headset with a noise-cancelling mic that will pick up your voice while reducing all the background noises. This is particularly necessary in Filipino homes because they can be pretty noisy. Neighbors, street noise, jeepneys, kids and chickens can actually become an issue when using the headset.
Budget Tiers
With ₱500-₱1,500, you can purchase good-quality headsets either with a USB or a 3.5 mm connector on Shopee and Lazada to be used until you gain some experience. Brands such as Fantech, A4Tech, and Havit will fall into this price category, and many Filipino online workers prefer to use them during the first months of work.
The next price segment, which is ₱2,000 to ₱4,000, will give you much better build quality and microphone clarity. You should pay attention to the headsets designed for use in call centers or offices — they are made to transfer voice communication without any distortion, unlike games or music headsets.
One very important recommendation: try to test the headset you have purchased before making your first client call. You may record yourself either by means of some free program such as Audacity or even by using your phone voice memos. You should listen to your voice recording to make sure that you sound natural and clear.
Backup Internet: Non-Negotiable in the Philippines
The internet infrastructure in the Philippines has come a long way in the last few years; however, it still falls short of being a perfect setup. Fiber connections tend to fail. The signal power varies depending on the location and even the floor level of the structure. Stable broadband is not always reliable especially when it comes to the provinces and the outer perimeters of Metro Manila. Having an alternative source for internet access becomes a necessity rather than a luxury for remote workers.
Losing internet during work shifts and client meetings is just one of those scenarios that would definitely shatter the trust built between the parties involved.
The Most Practical Backup
One of the most convenient back-up connections in the Philippines is a prepaid mobile data service that can be accessed through either a portable WiFi or through a SIM card that will be used as a hotspot through the use of your smartphone. The major telecommunications companies, namely, Globe, Smart, and DITO, all have prepaid data services that could last up to several hours while doing business-related activities such as calling and emails.
A pocket WiFi device would cost around ₱500 up to ₱2,000 based on the brand as well as its lockability to a certain telecommunication company. Once purchased, it will only take a ₱100 to ₱300 monthly data service to stay on guard.
In case your first line of access is the mobile data service, it will be wise to get an alternative broadband wired Internet service from another company for the sake of security. The reasoning here is pretty simple: do not put all your eggs in one basket. All the above-mentioned companies have different infrastructures in almost all parts of the country; therefore, while one might go down, the other will probably still be functional.
One useful practice for remote workers who are experienced in the matter: have the backup SIM card from a different telecommunications firm than your main provider. In case you are using Globe, for example, always have a Smart SIM card charged and ready to go. The signal quality differs greatly depending on location.
Power Backup: Because Brownouts Are Real
Power outages in the Philippines, whether they are planned brownouts provided by your local electric cooperative or outages that just happen, are operational facts of life that most Filipino remote employees encounter sometime in their career. If you find yourself in the middle of a call, task, or exam with a client and you experience a sudden loss of electricity, the repercussions can be anything from mildly disruptive to completely devastating to your professional reputation.
Every Filipino remote employee must always be prepared for power outages. There are two main ways to prepare for this problem – the UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) and a high-capacity power bank.
UPS: Your First Line of Defense
UPS stands for Uninterruptible Power Supply and basically acts as a battery backup for your computer and your router. As soon as you lose electricity, the UPS works immediately without any kind of delay and runs your computer for about 10 to 30 minutes, which is sufficient time to do whatever you were doing and shut down your computer safely.
Basic UPS models that can support a laptop and a router start from ₱2,000 to ₱3,500 and are available easily from various brands such as APC, Eaton, and others in hardware stores and PC Express stores or even on online markets. In case you use a desktop computer, then a UPS becomes necessary because unlike laptops, there is no inbuilt battery in desktop computers and a power outage would cause your desktop to shut down immediately.
Power Bank as a Backup for Your Backup
Should a UPS be out of your present budget, the next option would be to use a power bank that has a large capacity of at least 20,000mAh. This will be enough to maintain your cellphone or pocket WiFi active during a brownout so that while your power source is not there, your alternative internet connection will still be able to function and allow you to contact your client about the matter and work using your mobile device.
The average price of a good 20,000mAh power bank would be from ₱800 to ₱2,000 in Lazada and Shopee. Many freelance workers combine these two tools: a UPS for their main system and a power bank for backup internet.
A Few More Things Worth Adding When You Can
Once all these four essential components are in place, some other components can be added to your inventory once you have enough money.
A surge protector. This is separate from a UPS; a good surge protector can cost around ₱300 to ₱600. A surge protector protects your equipment from the sudden spike in voltage, especially when power comes back after a brown out. This is a cheap insurance for equipment that is expensive to replace.
Stable work surface and a comfortable chair. This is not an impressive piece of advice, but you will eventually suffer after spending your days sitting at the dining table or on plastic chairs. An ergonomic chair that can cost you ₱1,500 to ₱3,000 is worth your while to invest in.
Lighting for your video calls. You may not need a ring light yet, but with proper lighting, you will feel more professional and presentable during video calls. You can put an LED desk lamp in front of you, not behind you, in case you have a dark environment. These lamps cost ₱200 to ₱500..
The Core Message: Spend Smart, Not Big
Setting up an online work environment in the Philippines does not mean building a fancy computer and accessories. It means avoiding all possible failures – crashes of the machine, audio failures, Internet connection interruptions and power outages so that you would become consistent and your customers would not think whether you will be available or not.
Order of priorities should be the following: the computer – first of all, then audio, then Internet protection, then power source. You will add the rest when you start making more money.
A lot of Filipino freelancers that are earning consistently now started their careers using second-hand laptops, ₱700 headphones, prepaid SIM card topped up and borrowed UPS. What has helped them to remain reliable and earn regular money wasn’t the quality of their hardware but the ability to show up, functioning perfectly, every day.
Focus on the basics, defend yourself from the predictable disruptions, spend your money in places where they really help you.
