Working in America

CEBU, Philippines - America is a melting pot, and its doors are open to foreign workers. At the nursing home facility where I work as a Physical Therapist, the Head of Nursing is Filipino, the head of Maintenance is Russian, most of the Activities personnel are Hispanic, some nurses assistants are Jamaican. Every workplace is like a mini-United Nations. 

There are laws in America called the Equal Employment Opportunity Laws, which prohibit employers from discriminating against job applicants on the bases of religion, gender, disability, age, race or national origin.

Filipinos are thriving in the workplace. There are many Filipinos in Nursing Homes and hospitals, working as doctors, nurses or therapists. In our area, a noticeable amount of Supervisors are Filipinos. There are about a dozen Rehab facilities in our area and we don’t know everybody, but when we read the list of Supervisors, we know which ones are Filipinos. As my one co-worker remarked, “Sino ba naman ang may pangalang ‘Twinkle Enriquez’?”

Some Filipino doctors try to acquire their license in the States. I know one person who is trying to do that. He was a PT prior to becoming a doctor in the Philippines. He moved here with his wife, who is a nurse, and now he’s trying to get his medical license. A Physiatrist, an Indian woman, once told me it was not difficult to get the medical license, although it is a long process and there are exams to take.

America has been in financial crisis for the past year and they say it’s been the worst economic time since the Great Depression. Unemployment rate is high and many people continue to be laid off, but medical professionals have not suffered the same fate.

There is still a great demand for medical professionals in the U.S. Physical and Occupational Therapists are bombarded with job offers. We get emails, flyers in the mail and phone calls. At my workplace, we get calls every week from recruiters who want us to change jobs and work for their company, and we’re always annoyed that they interrupt our work to do that.

Since there are many opportunities, one must not be too hasty when signing up for a job. When I passed my PT licensure exam and was looking for an employer, there was this one company that required me to pay $3,000. They faxed me documents and wanted me to sign immediately. I held off and did more research. In my experience, it’s best to talk to people you know and trust, and acquire information from them. It was my cousin’s wife who told me about the company I work for now.  The company took me on as a Direct Hire employee. I did not have to pay a cent, and they sponsored me for a working visa.

Some of my classmates from PT did not have the opportunity to be hired directly by a private company the way I was. Instead, they had to sign up with agencies that took contracts from Rehab facilities, and then assigned the therapists wherever work is available. 

Some of these agencies are run by Filipinos, and unfortunately I’ve heard of a few that are shady. Once I went to such a company’s office. I was just inquiring there when I incidentally saw a familiar face. She was from Cebu, too. We weren’t close friends but we knew each other. She pulled me outside and told me to run for the hills. She confided that the Filipino owner paid the therapists a very low salary and kept them for long-term contracts. Then there’s another Filipino company that my co-worker (also a Filipino) ended up leaving and breaking the contract because they couldn’t find work for him for two months. That company sued my co-worker and they’re still dealing with it in court.  It’s a shame, but I now feel wary of Rehab agencies run by fellow Filipinos.

Physical and Occupational Therapists have the options to work at a Home Health Care setting, Sub-acute facilities where patients stay for a month or so and then return home, Long term care facilities which  patients consider their homes, hospitals, and out-patient rehab facilities. Others choose to become Traveling Therapists, moving to a different facility every couple of months.

My cousin has been a therapist here for ten years, and she said as you gain more experience and credentials, when you want another job, you will be the one doing the interviewing. What are the benefits? What is the salary offer? You won’t have to settle, because if one company doesn’t meet your conditions, another one will.

How are Filipinos received in the workplace? Most people are appreciative of us and we often hear positive remarks about Filipino workers, especially coming from the patients. We have a big presence in the medical professional world, and our contributions are valued here.