Minimum wage
₱540/day (non-agriculture)
Wage Order RB XI-24, second tranche effective 1 Sep 2026. ₱525/day for agriculture.
Employer contributions
SSS (Social Security System)
Employer 10% / employee 5% of Monthly Salary Credit (MSC ₱5,000–₱35,000)
15% total rate continues in 2026. Separate small Employees' Compensation (EC) contribution not modeled.
Source: SSS – Pay Contributions (effective Jan 2025)Last checked Oct 2026PhilHealth
5% of monthly basic salary, split 2.5% / 2.5% (floor ₱10,000, ceiling ₱100,000)
Source: Philippine Information Agency – PhilHealth 2026 rateLast checked Oct 2026Pag-IBIG (HDMF)
Employer 2% of Monthly Fund Salary capped at ₱10,000 (max ₱200/month)
Copy of the official HDMF circular hosted by Grant Thornton Philippines.
Source: Pag-IBIG Fund HDMF Circular No. 460 (Feb 2024 MFS increase)Last checked Oct 2026
13th-month pay
Mandatory: at least 1/12 of total basic salary earned in the calendar year, paid by 24 December
Internet
Ookla Speedtest Global Index
Country median (Aug 2026): fixed 114.34 Mbps down / 104.81 up; mobile 66.33 Mbps down / 8.49 up
Country-level median, not city-specific.
Public holidays 2026
10 regular holidays + 8 special non-working days declared for 2026; Eid'l Fitr and Eid'l Adha are proclaimed separately
Regular holidays
- 1 Jan – New Year's Day
- 2 Apr – Maundy Thursday
- 3 Apr – Good Friday
- 9 Apr – Araw ng Kagitingan
- 1 May – Labor Day
- 12 Jun – Independence Day
- 31 Aug – National Heroes Day
- 30 Nov – Bonifacio Day
- 25 Dec – Christmas Day
- 30 Dec – Rizal Day
Special non-working days
- 17 Feb – Chinese New Year
- 4 Apr – Black Saturday
- 21 Aug – Ninoy Aquino Day
- 1 Nov – All Saints' Day
- 2 Nov – All Souls' Day
- 8 Dec – Feast of the Immaculate Conception
- 24 Dec – Christmas Eve
- 31 Dec – Last day of the year
Power
Awaiting firsthand field notes and an official grid-reliability source.
Entity setup basics
Register a domestic corporation with the SEC. Foreign-owned domestic-market enterprises generally need US$200,000 minimum paid-in capital, reducible to US$100,000 (advanced technology, endorsed startup, or majority-Filipino workforce of at least 15). Export enterprises (60%+ of output exported) can be 100% foreign-owned without that minimum, subject to the Foreign Investment Negative List.
Typical steps
- SEC registration
- BIR (tax) registration
- Local business permit (LGU / city hall)
- SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG employer registration
Timeline and cost
Realistic timeline and cost to come from field notes.
EOR / payroll coverage
| Provider | EOR status | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Deel | Listed | Provider page |
| Remote | Listed | Provider page |
| Multiplier | Listed | Provider page |
Based on each provider's public country page. Confirm coverage, pricing and entity model directly before signing. No affiliate links.
Last checked Oct 2026Pay by role
Pay-by-role data will come from Gregory Dunham's field notes. Until then, enter your own salary in the calculator.
Field notes from Gregory Dunham
Updated Oct 2026
Davao has occasional power outages, so plan for backup. In-office UPS or other backup equipment is often required, and laptops that plug into monitors keep people working.
Davao has plenty of solid English speakers. Manila's English is better, but not by a wide margin. Attrition is low here. People tend to stay if they are happy and fairly compensated.