The city itself is friendly to foreign students who wish to study there. There are numerous Korean and Japanese restaurants and quite a number of shops owned by Taiwanese around the city. If you are of a different nationality, you will feel at home due to Filipino tutor hospitality.
OK English Academy (OKEA)
OKEA focuses on TOEIC courses for their students but may include IELTS at special request from large groups. The school caters to Koreans, Japanese, and Taiwanese students but sometimes receives students from Mongolia, Europe, China, and South America. The school is in connection with STI-West Negros University. It is one of the few schools in the Philippines which have American instructors on-hand all year and offers one-on-one courses with Americans. It is located in Lopues South Square, Tangub behind Transcom.
The academy is one of the largest in the city and is located in a peaceful portion of the city. However, several malls are only a short jeepney ride away.
To study in Bacolod, students will need to acquire an SSP (Special Study Permit). The permit is usually taken care of by the school staff.
Jason English Language School (JELS Academy)
Jason offers TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC courses. The school caters to mostly Korean students but sometimes receives Japanese, Taiwanese, and Chinese students. It is located along Burgos Extension in Barangay Villamonte near Lopues East.
The school is relatively small compared to the others, but the location has many benefits. There is a gym, bowling, badminton courts, and a shopping mall within walking distance.
Bacolod International Language Center (BILC - Colegio San Agustin)
BILC offers TOEIC and IELTS courses for their students. They focus on receiving Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese students. The school is located at the Colegio San Agustin campus along BS Aquino Drive in Shopping.
BILC is a generally small academy but hopes to grow in the coming years with its new location at the college campus. The school is located within walking distance on Lacson Street where the Tourist Strip is located.
English for Global Communications - La Salle
EGC offers TOEIC and TOEFL courses. The school caters mostly to Koreans but may also receive Japanese and Taiwanese students as well as Middle Eastern students on occasion. The school is located at the University of St. La Salle along La Salle Avenue.
The academy is located near several Filipino and international style restaurants.
Salary For Tutors
Based on interviews, tutors are paid relatively the same at all English academies in Bacolod. Here are the details:Starting pay is 50 pesos per hour. However, tutors are paid only for the amount of students they receive. On average, a tutor receives roughly 4.5 students per day. This is equivalent to 4,500 pesos per month ($100 USD per month).
Furthermore, tutors are not paid for holidays (red or black), do not receive 13th month pay, and do not receive vacation or sick days. Administrations state that holiday, 13th month, and vacation pay is already included in the 50 pesos and thus are not required to pay anything additional.
It is also common that tutors do not receive SSS, Pag-ibig, or PhilHealth until after 6 months at the academies. However, very few academies do offer these benefits.
Very few tutors receive the status of "regular" despite promises of the administration even if they have worked for more than 2 years. Based on interviews, many tutors who have worked for more than 3 or 4 years still have not received the status of regular.
Essentially, pay and workers rights are similar among all academies in Bacolod due to an alliance of the Korean ownership community. Exploitation is rampant, and due to contract wordings and corruption DOLE refuses to act.
Students are often told tutor salary is in the range of 300 pesos/hour to justify the large amount they are paying to the school. However, tutors receive only a small portion of this.
NOTE: This section hopes to inform both students and tutors, and hopes to give justice to the hundreds, even thousands of tutors who have been exploited in the name of money.
