Hire Virtual Assistants in the Philippines Through an EOR
Employ a virtual assistant in the Philippines without immediately establishing your own local company. An Employer of Record lets you engage a Philippines-based virtual assistant as an employee through a local employing entity while your business manages their daily work.
Smart Outsourcing Solution provides this service through Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc., the Philippine legal employer. The local entity manages employment contracts, payroll, statutory administration, employee records and formal employment processes. This page describes an EOR-supported employee model, not a fully managed virtual-assistant or BPO service in which SOS operates the entire function on your business’s behalf.
Key Takeaways
- You can hire a Philippines-based virtual assistant as an employee without creating your own local entity.
- Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc. is the Philippine legal employer under the SOS EOR service.
- Your business continues to direct the virtual assistant’s daily work.
- The standard EOR management fee is US$190 per employee per month, a fixed rate, not a starting price.
- Recruitment and candidate sourcing are included in the fee; your business interviews and selects its preferred candidate.
- Salary, statutory contributions, 13th-month pay, benefits, allowances, equipment and other employee-specific costs are passed through separately at cost.
- No separate SOS setup, onboarding, exit or offboarding fee applies under standard pricing. Employee liabilities remain separate.
- A refundable employee-liability deposit equal to one month’s base salary is required at commencement and annually.
- An existing contractor or previously selected candidate can be onboarded in as little as five business days once requirements are complete.
What Filipino Virtual Assistants Can Handle
A virtual assistant may help your team manage recurring administrative, customer-support, marketing, research or finance-support tasks. The right role depends on the tasks, systems, working hours, data-access requirements, reporting line and expected duration of the engagement.
| Function | Tasks and capabilities |
|---|---|
| Administrative and Executive Support | Calendar and inbox management, travel planning, appointment setting, data entry, CRM updates and online research |
| Customer Support and Live Chat | Voice, email and chat support, ticket administration, customer follow-up and approved escalation procedures |
| Digital Marketing and SEO/PPC Support | SEO research, content scheduling, basic copywriting, campaign administration, Google Ads, Meta Ads, HubSpot, WordPress and Shopify support |
| Bookkeeping and Finance Support | Xero, QuickBooks or MYOB administration, accounts-payable and accounts-receivable support, reconciliations and reporting |
The employee’s responsibilities, access permissions, training requirements and reporting line should be defined before onboarding. Finance-support tasks should be scoped carefully according to your internal process, approval requirements and applicable accounting responsibilities.
How Can You Hire a Virtual Assistant Without a Local Company?
An EOR provides the local employment structure. To get started:
- Define the role, tasks, working hours, tools and proposed compensation.
- Select a candidate or ask SOS to source and screen applicants.
- Review the itemised cost model and sign the services agreement.
- Complete employment documentation, onboarding information and advance funding.
- Agree the start date, systems access and day-to-day reporting arrangements.
You do not need to incorporate your own Philippine subsidiary, register as a local employer or establish internal Philippine payroll merely to hire a virtual assistant through an EOR. Your business still signs an EOR services agreement and meets its contractual, funding, operational and data-protection responsibilities.
Which Hiring Model Is Right for You?
| Hiring model | Best suited for | Main consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Employer of Record | Hiring a named virtual assistant as an employee in the Philippines | A local EOR manages formal employment administration; your business directs daily work |
| Freelancer or independent contractor | Clearly independent, project-based tasks | The relationship must genuinely operate as an independent contractor arrangement |
| Managed virtual-assistant or BPO service | Delegating a defined process or function rather than managing an individual | The provider generally manages the delivery team and process |
| Philippine entity | Building a larger, long-term local operation | Your business takes responsibility for local entity, payroll, HR and compliance administration |
An EOR is generally appropriate when you want to hire a specific virtual assistant as an employee while retaining operational control over their daily work.
For a detailed comparison, see EOR versus freelancer hiring in the Philippines.
What Smart Outsourcing Solution Manages
SOS coordinates employment administration through Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc., the Philippine legal employer, including:
- Employment contracts and documentation
- Employee onboarding and offboarding
- Payroll administration, deductions and payslips
- Tax-withholding and BIR processes
- SSS, PhilHealth and Pag-IBIG administration
- 13th-month pay administration
- Employee records, HR support and benefits administration
- Human support throughout the employee lifecycle
The exact service scope remains subject to the applicable agreement and employment arrangement.
What Your Business Manages
Your business manages the virtual assistant’s daily tasks, priorities, workflows, tools, training and operational performance. You define the role, interview and select the candidate, set quality standards and reporting requirements, and manage access permissions and security controls for the work.
Formal warnings, disciplinary action, suspension, changes to employment terms and termination must be coordinated with SOS and handled through the appropriate Philippine employment process.
Virtual Assistant Pricing in the Philippines
The standard EOR management fee is:
| Cost item | Standard treatment |
|---|---|
| EOR management fee | US$190 per employee per month |
| Recruitment and candidate sourcing | Included in the standard EOR management fee |
| Final candidate selection | Managed by your business |
| Employee salary | Passed through at cost |
| Employer statutory contributions | Passed through at cost |
| 13th-month pay | Passed through at cost |
| Benefits and allowances (e.g. HMO, on request) | Passed through at cost where applicable |
| Equipment | Passed through at cost |
| Other employee-specific costs | Passed through at cost |
| Setup and onboarding fees | No separate SOS fee |
| Exit and offboarding fees | No separate SOS fee |
| Foreign exchange markup | No additional FX markup under standard pricing |
| Refundable employee-liability deposit | One month’s base salary at commencement and annually; salary-related adjustments apply |
| Minimum headcount | At least one employee; no volume minimum |
SOS charges no separate provider termination or exit fee. Final salary, unused leave, statutory separation pay, notice obligations and other employee-related liabilities remain payable where applicable.
The employee-liability deposit secures potential termination or redundancy costs. It is separate from the management fee, accumulates through annual invoicing, and adjusts for salary increases. Any remaining balance is refundable subject to settlement of obligations and the agreement.
You can review the full Philippines EOR pricing structure.
Is Recruitment Included?
Yes. Recruitment and candidate sourcing are included in the standard US$190 EOR management fee, with no separate recruitment charge. SOS can support sourcing and screening; your business interviews and selects its preferred candidate.
Recruitment timing depends on the role, candidate availability, interviews, checks and approvals. Confirm a realistic start date before making commitments.
How Quickly Can You Start?
An existing contractor or previously selected candidate can be onboarded in as little as five business days once the agreement, employee information, required documentation, advance payroll funding and the employee-liability deposit are complete. This is a possible fast timeline, not a guarantee for every hire.
Recruiting a new candidate can extend the timeline. Where the individual is already employed by another provider, the existing employment relationship and transition process must first be addressed.
How Is the Total Cost Calculated?
Budget for employment costs, advance payroll funding and the refundable employee-liability deposit.
A general cost calculation is:
Budget separately for the initial deposit, annual deposit invoicing and any salary-related adjustments. SOS confirms a role-specific cost model covering compensation, statutory costs and approved extras. SOS adds no FX margin under standard pricing; confirm the conversion basis in the agreed invoicing process.
For current employment and payroll requirements, review the latest information from the Department of Labor and Employment, Social Security System, PhilHealth, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Pag-IBIG Fund.
Payroll Funding and Employee Payments
SOS administers payroll twice monthly, with salaries generally paid on the 15th and 30th or the applicable business day.
Payroll must be funded in advance. Your business must ensure cleared funds arrive within the agreed funding period and before the relevant salary payment date. The applicable agreement and cost model confirm invoice cut-offs, funding dates and payroll treatment. SOS is not required to advance payroll where cleared customer funds have not been received.
Benefits and Healthcare
Eligible rank-and-file employees are generally entitled to statutory 13th-month pay. SOS accrues and administers it pro rata as an employee-related cost separate from the management fee. The general calculation is one-twelfth of basic salary earned during the calendar year, under Presidential Decree No. 851 and its implementing rules.
Private HMO coverage is separate from statutory PhilHealth. It is not a mandatory or default benefit. Principal and dependent coverage can be arranged upon your request and is billed as a pass-through employee-related cost outside the management fee.
How to Build a Structured Virtual Assistant Role
A virtual assistant role works best when the tasks, processes, tools, access requirements and performance expectations are clearly defined before onboarding.
Define the responsibilities. Separate daily, weekly and occasional tasks, and flag anything requiring approval, escalation or access to customer or confidential information.
Document the processes. Provide standard operating procedures, checklists, templates, brand or communication guidelines, approval workflows and escalation procedures.
Confirm the tools. Provide access to the systems required for the role, for example Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, HubSpot, Shopify, WordPress, Xero, QuickBooks, MYOB, Canva, Mailchimp, Zendesk, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Trello or Notion.
Set performance measures. Agree task completion, accuracy, turnaround time, response times, reporting deadlines and quality standards.
Your business manages the virtual assistant’s daily work and performance; SOS manages the agreed employment administration and HR support.
When Should You Hire a Virtual Assistant?
You may want to consider hiring a virtual assistant when recurring tasks begin taking time away from leadership, sales, operations or other core business activities, for example delayed calendar or inbox management, inconsistent CRM updates, support backlogs, delayed content publishing or growing finance-support workload.
SOS works with businesses at every stage, including startups, scaleups and SMEs, larger international companies, businesses hiring their first Philippine employee, and companies looking to switch EOR providers or convert an existing contractor into a formal employee.
If you’re starting from an existing contractor relationship, see converting contractors to employees in the Philippines.
About Smart Outsourcing Solution
Smart Outsourcing Solution (SOS) is a Philippines-specialist Employer of Record and offshore workforce partner operating under Global BPO Solution. SOS began operations in 2017; Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc., its Philippine legal-employer entity, was incorporated in 2022.
SOS is led by co-founder and CEO Phil Murphy and co-founder Martin English, whose leadership team brings more than 50 years of combined industry experience. The company has supported more than 250 international businesses and more than 1,000 employees through Philippines-focused workforce solutions, including clients from Australia, the UK, the US, Canada, Singapore, New Zealand and other markets hiring talent in the Philippines.
For broader workforce planning, see offshore team structures in the Philippines.
About the Author
Martin English is Co-founder of Smart Outsourcing Solution. His published founder profile describes more than 20 years of experience in outsourcing, customer experience, digital transformation and offshore workforce strategy in Southeast Asia. At SOS, he focuses on business development, strategic partnerships and helping international companies build Philippines-based teams. Read Martin’s founder profile.
This page provides general information, not Philippine legal, tax or employment advice. The appropriate structure and employment treatment depend on the facts of each arrangement.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I hire a virtual assistant in the Philippines?
You can hire an existing contractor or previously selected candidate through an EOR arrangement once the agreement, employee information, required documentation, advance payroll funding and the employee-liability deposit are complete. Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc. employs the worker in the Philippines; your business manages the employee’s daily work.
What tasks can a Filipino virtual assistant handle?
Depending on the role, a virtual assistant may support administration, executive assistance, customer service, live chat, data entry, CRM updates, online research, content scheduling, email marketing, lead generation, bookkeeping support, reporting and coordination.
How much does a virtual assistant cost?
The fixed SOS EOR management fee is US$190 per employee per month, including recruitment and candidate sourcing; your business selects the candidate. Salary, statutory contributions, 13th-month pay, benefits, allowances, equipment and other employee-specific costs are passed through separately at cost.
Is a refundable deposit required?
Yes. The standard agreement invoices a refundable employee-liability deposit equal to one month’s base salary at commencement and annually, with salary-related adjustments. It secures employment liabilities; the remaining balance is refundable subject to settlement and the agreement.
Do I need to set up a company in the Philippines?
Not immediately. Global BPO Solution Philippines Inc. can legally employ the virtual assistant in the Philippines while your business manages their daily work. You still sign an EOR services agreement and meet its funding, operational and data-protection responsibilities.
Can a virtual assistant work Australian, UK or US hours?
Alternative schedules are possible, subject to Philippine working-hour and rest requirements. Applicable overtime, night-shift and holiday premiums are additional employee costs. Confirm eligibility, schedules and payroll treatment under the Philippine Labor Code before work starts.
Can I hire just one virtual assistant?
Yes. There is no minimum headcount beyond one employee, and no volume requirement to access the standard US$190 fee.
Is there a lock-in, setup fee or termination fee?
Standard pricing has no separate SOS setup, onboarding, exit or offboarding fee and no minimum contract duration. The service may end on 30 days’ written notice, subject to the agreement. Final pay, applicable unused leave, separation pay, notice obligations and approved third-party costs remain payable. Ending the service does not automatically end employment.
Can I later employ the virtual assistant directly?
Yes. After the agreement ends or expires, SOS charges no employee-transfer fee if outstanding obligations are paid and the employment transition is properly managed. Direct hiring during the agreement requires prior written consent.
Hire a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines
Tell us the tasks, workload, working hours, tools and access requirements, and whether you have a selected candidate or an existing contractor. SOS can then confirm the role, employment terms, onboarding requirements and expected monthly cost.
