Chinese firm to hire 2,000 online English teachers from PH

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

Sue Ting, co-founder and senior vice president of 51Talk, said in an interview Wednesday that the internet-based English education company catering to the Chinese population currently has 10,000 part-time and full-time teachers globally, of which 8,000 are in the Philippines.

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 contested West Philippine Sea or South China Sea, Ting said it was business as usual for 51Talk.

READ: Chinese netizens vow to boycott Philippine imports 

“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],” Ting said.

“Students can choose their teachers on the mobile app, where the performance of the tutors is reflected,” she said.

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

At present, 51Talk has two sites in the Philippines: the headquarters in Manila and an office in Baguio City. Ting said they plan to expand to Cebu and Davao as part of plans to tap the Visayas and Mindanao in the coming years.

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

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