Hiring a Japanese Chef in Cebu: Resort Market Guide

Cebu is the Philippines' main resort and business centre outside Metro Manila, with hotels and resorts on Mactan Island next to the international airport and a city restaurant scene in Cebu City. For a restaurant or resort hiring a Japanese chef, the legal process is national, but the wage level and the practical filing points are different from Manila. This guide covers what is specific to Cebu as of September 2026. The full process is in our Philippines guide.

1. What the official data covers

• MAFF counted 940 Japanese restaurants in the Philippines in 2025, up 180 on 2023. It does not break this down by city.
• MOFA counted 13,342 Japanese nationals in the Philippines on 1 October 2025, 6,513 of them in Metro Manila. Cebu is not in MOFA's list of the 50 largest Japanese communities abroad, and we could not obtain an official figure for it.

We found no official count of Japanese restaurants or residents in Cebu, so this guide does not estimate them. What it does mean is that the local Japanese pool is smaller than Manila's. Most Cebu employers will recruit a chef from Japan or from elsewhere in the region.

2. Cebu's minimum wage

Cebu is in Region VII (Central Visayas). Under Wage Order ROVII-26, effective 4 October 2025, daily minimum wages are:

Mactan's resort strip falls in Lapu-Lapu City and Cordova, both in Class A. For comparison, the non-agriculture minimum in Metro Manila is PHP 755 a day (see our Manila guide). Region VII's wage board has been holding public hearings and consultations on the minimum wage in Cebu, so check for a newer order before setting 2027 pay.

The lower floor affects the Filipino team, not the Japanese chef, whose pay is set by the international market. It does make the two person skills transfer programme that comes with the AEP relatively cheap to staff, which is a good reason to take it seriously. See training local staff in Japanese cuisine.

3. Filing from Cebu

• AEP. JETRO describes the application as going to the DOLE regional office for where the company is located. For a Cebu company, that is DOLE's Region VII (Central Visayas) office. If your company is registered in Manila and the kitchen is in Cebu, confirm with DOLE which office takes the application.
• 9(g) visa. The Bureau of Immigration processes 9(g) applications at its Main Office and at other immigration offices authorised for the transaction. Ask the BI whether its Cebu area office handles 9(g) conversions before you plan around it.
• Labour market test. Under DOLE Department Order 248 (2025), the vacancy with the chef's name must be published in a newspaper of general circulation, and the AEP filed after 15 days from publication and within 15 days of signing the contract.

4. Resort openings and short assignments

Resorts often want a Japanese chef for a launch, a season or a menu refresh rather than a permanent post. The Philippines has a tool for that:

• A Special Work Permit from the BI covers work of up to 6 months. It is valid for 3 months and can be extended once.
• If the chef will stay beyond that, the AEP must be applied for at least 21 working days before the SWP expires.
• A chef coming only to look around or interview can enter visa free for up to 30 days for business or tourism. That does not allow work.

A consultant chef for an opening and a permanent head chef are different hires with different paperwork. Decide which you need before you advertise. For the offer itself, see relocation packages for chefs.

5. Checklist

1. Decide between a short assignment (SWP, up to 6 months) and a permanent hire (AEP and 9(g)).
2. For a permanent hire, publish the vacancy and time the AEP filing within the 15 day windows.
3. File the AEP with DOLE Region VII, including the skills transfer programme for two Filipino staff.
4. Confirm where the BI will process the 9(g).
5. Set Filipino staff pay at or above PHP 540 a day in Class A areas, and check for new wage orders.

Another resort market in the region: Bali.

General information checked in September 2026 against NWPC wage orders, Bureau of Immigration and JETRO information and Japanese government statistics, not legal or immigration advice. Confirm current rates and requirements with DOLE Region VII, the Bureau of Immigration or a Philippine lawyer before hiring.