Teaching in Thailand after struggling to find work in the Philippines

This story is part of COVID-19 Pushed Me to Leave the Philippines, a series of profiles of Filipinos who migrated out of the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Earl Beran had no plans of migrating out of the Philippines. 

His life after graduating with a degree in electronics engineering in August 2020 consisted mostly of helping his humble family business in Nueva Vizcaya. He had also put up his own food and drink business.

But because of pandemic restrictions that were tightened and prolonged, and the difficulty of finding a job in his own country, he now finds himself working as a teacher in Bangkok, Thailand.

In the Philippines, most children are unable to come back to their classrooms. In 2021, the country became the last in the world to resume face-to-face classes since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic – and only for a…