One of the defining characteristics of being a Remote Filipino Worker is that you can do your work from anywhere in the world at any time of the day. For better or for worse, this means that the lines between office hours and working spaces are much more blurred for a typical RFW than a corporate employee.
Sometimes, working from home everyday for extended durations can get tiresome and stifling. At worst, it could lead to lower productivity or a burn out. As such, you might want to consider the option of taking a workation for a change in scenery and to recharge your battery.
If this is something you’re considering, here are a few beginner tips on how to work from the beach in the Philippines
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Why Work from the Beach
Working from the beach is only one of the many workation options around. The beauty of working from the beach in the Philippines is that there are options for short and long term workations, as well as budget and premium options.
Another natural advantage that we enjoy living in the Philippines is our relative proximity to nice beaches. If you live close to the southern part of metro manila, you could visit the beaches in Batangas. For those living in the north, San Juan, La Union is now only a few hours drive from Metro Manila.
Beginner Tips: What Do You Need To Work From the Beach
Working from the beach is very much like working remotely. There will be a few necessities, as well as a number of creature comforts that you may want to bring with you just to improve the reliability of being able to get the job done.
1. Create a Workflow Gameplan: Itenerary and Work Objectives
Even before you consider going on a workation, you have to have a good workflow gameplan. Without one, you’ll run the risk of going on a vacation without accomplishing any work.
There are a few ways of going about this problem. For more laid-back people, the most basic preparation you can do is to set aside a specific number of hours for work and which tasks should be done within the duration of your workation.
If you’re a stickler for detail, you can go and create a full-blown daily and hourly itinerary of what work and fun activities should be done on a daily basis to maximize your time for rest and relaxation without compromising your productivity.
2. Determine Your Budget: How Much to Work from The Beach
After you’ve made your workflow gameplan, it’s time to set aside a budget. This will depend on what your personal workation objectives.
If you’re planning a short weekend getaway where your primary goal is to get some rest and relaxation while finishing a few critical tasks, you may be able to spend a bit more. There are a number of package deals for different budgets and lengths of stay. You can find a swank workation package in boracay for a weekend getaway from P37,999.
On the other hand, if you’re planning to do this as part of a new leaf of your buhay digital as a digital nomad of sorts, you may want to find cheaper and more sustainable options depending on how much you earn. There are accommodations for surfers and the more budget-oriented digital nomads in La Union that can cost as low as P750 per night (P22,500 per month).
3. Prepare Your Equipment: Laptop and Other Gadgets
Laptop – Your laptop will most likely be your bread and butter for most of your work as a Remote Filipino Worker. For the best results, it’s recommended to have a lightweight laptop with good battery life and a decently bright screen.
Most beach workation locations will have wall sockets where you’ll plugin your device, but for the sake of convenience, you want to work on a laptop that can support at least 6-8 hours of active use per charge. For more details on our recommended laptops for remote filipino workers, check out this article here.
Chargers, Power Banks, and Powerstations – Aside from your laptop, you’ll want to bring a good power bank for your devices. A powerstation could also prove to be handy, especially if you have a place to store it in when you don’t need it. Lastly, bring your own extension cord in case the place you’re staying in lacks a sufficient number of wall sockets where you can charge up your gadgets.
Mobile Internet – Most workation hostels and fancy hotels will have their own free Wifi services for guests. For both security and reliability reasons, it would be best to bring your own trusted mobile internet device. The public Wifi might not provide you with the internet speed that you need, especially if a lot of other guests are using the same connection.
Noise Cancelling Options – Working outdoors can present a challenge in terms of managing noise levels. Depending on what kind of noise you want to block-off, there are both free and paid options that you might want to check out.
If all you’re looking for is a viable way of reducing the noise your laptop or mic is picking up for clearer voice chats, you might want to try and use a free noise-canceling app. On the other hand, if you want to block-off ambient sounds to avoid distractions while working, a pair of noise-canceling headphones might be more useful for you.
4. Look for a Good Place to Stay: Where to Work from Beach
To help you choose the right location for your workation on the beach, here are a few starting considerations you might want to ponder on The location you’ll choose will depend on a few things:
- accessibility or travel time
- kinds of activities you’ll want to do
- budget
- your planned length of stay
- safety
Luckily, there are a bunch of package deals you can find all over the Philippines, including locations where you can bring your pets, places for divers, surfers, and much more. Regardless of what kind of accommodation you’d want, there will likely be a place for you. Make sure to plan ahead before you take the dive so that you get the most out of your workation.
