Sea row aside, Beijing-based firm taps Pinoy teachers

Not even a maritime dispute between the Philippines and China can stop Beijing-based 51Talk from hiring up to 2,000 more Filipinos who will teach English online.

“We are an English-learning platform for language exchange and cultural communication. Most students already have regular [Filipino] teachers. We are not affected by the dispute,” Sue Ting, co-founder and senior vice president of 51Talk, said in an interview Wednesday.

Despite calls by some Chinese to boycott Philippine products after the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled last month that China has no historical rights over the waters of the resource-rich South China Sea, Ting said it was business as usual for the internet-based English education company catering to the Chinese population.

“Having the same time zone with China is a big benefit. Also, the Philippines is the top English-speaking country outside the United Kingdom and the United States, so we still see a lot of potential here,” Ting said.

She said 51Talk currently has 10,000 part-time and full-time teachers globally, of which 8,000 are in the Philippines.

The pay for teachers, who can work from home as long as they have reliable internet connection, are based on their performances. New hires usually get around P100 per hour on top of incentives given by the company for outstanding work.