Guide · applying in another country
Resume format for the Philippines
What employers in the Philippines usually expect on a resume, what they usually don't, and where that guidance comes from.
These notes are about what employers may ask or require, not about what you must do. RA 10911 applies to employers (including government agencies and nonprofits), labor contractors and subcontractors, and labor organizations, and it stops publishers from printing age-based job ads. It makes it unlawful for an employer to require you to declare your age or birth date during the application process, and it allows age limits only in narrow cases, such as a bona fide occupational qualification. It restricts employers; it doesn't tell applicants what to put on a resume. The Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) likewise sets duties for those who process personal information. Guidance, not legal advice.
Usually or often left out in the Philippines
- Birthdate or age
- Religion
- Government ID numbers (national ID, tax or social security)
Not flagged
- Sex or gender. We don't flag this. We found no Philippine law or official guidance that tells applicants to list or leave out sex or gender. Kalibrr advises dropping gender unless it relates to the job. Philippine labour law (the Labor Code as amended by RA 6725, and the Magna Carta of Women, RA 9710) stops employers from discriminating against women at work; it does not set what goes on a resume. Government forms such as the Civil Service Commission Personal Data Sheet ask for it.
- Place of birth. We don't flag this. The Civil Service Commission Personal Data Sheet for government jobs asks for it, and traditional biodata forms include it. We found no official or job-board guidance on whether a private-sector resume should carry it, so it's your call.
Detail by detail
| Detail | In the Philippines | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Birthdate or age | Often left out. RA 10911 stops an employer from requiring you to declare your age or birth date when you apply. It doesn't forbid you from listing it. Jobstreet Philippines and Robert Walters Philippines both advise leaving age off. Some traditional resumes and government forms still include a date of birth. | Republic Act No. 10911, Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, sections 4 and 5 Binds employers, labor contractors and labor organizations. It does not tell applicants what to put on a resume. Jobstreet Philippines — CV guide for Philippine job seekers (May 2025) Job-board advice, not law. It asks for your current city or home address and calls a photo common for customer-facing roles. Robert Walters Philippines — How to write a resume for the Philippine market (Jan 2025) Recruiter advice, not law. Its contact block is phone, city, email and LinkedIn, and it advises leaving age off. |
| Civil status | Worth a look | Jobstreet Philippines — The 5 personal details you can take out of your resume (2022) Job-board advice, not law. |
| Religion | Often left out | Jobstreet Philippines — The 5 personal details you can take out of your resume (2022) Job-board advice, not law. |
| Height and weight | Worth a look. Jobstreet Philippines and Kalibrr advise leaving these off unless the job calls for them. | Jobstreet Philippines — CV guide for Philippine job seekers (May 2025) Job-board advice, not law. It asks for your current city or home address and calls a photo common for customer-facing roles. Kalibrr — 3 horrible examples of Filipino resumes (May 2022) Job-board advice, not law. |
| Sex or gender | Not flagged | Kalibrr — Ways your resume could be outdated (Jan 2022) Job-board advice, not law. It advises dropping age, marital status, gender, a recent photo and hobbies unless they relate to the job, and replacing an objective with a summary. |
| Place of birth | Not flagged | Industry practice; no official source found |
| Nationality | Worth a look. Jobstreet Philippines says it is generally unnecessary unless you apply for a government post or a job overseas, where it may be asked. | Jobstreet Philippines — The 5 personal details you can take out of your resume (2022) Job-board advice, not law. |
| Photo | Worth a look. Practice varies. Jobstreet Philippines says a photo is common when the job involves customer interaction, but two earlier Jobstreet articles and Kalibrr advise leaving it off unless the employer asks for it or the work is modelling or acting. Government job forms, such as the Civil Service Commission Personal Data Sheet, include a photo box. If you are applying abroad, check that country's guide. | Jobstreet Philippines — CV guide for Philippine job seekers (May 2025) Job-board advice, not law. It asks for your current city or home address and calls a photo common for customer-facing roles. Jobstreet Philippines — What information should you leave off your resume? 15 to remove (2023) Job-board advice, not law. It calls the street address a security risk and says to add a photo only for modelling or acting. Kalibrr — Ways your resume could be outdated (Jan 2022) Job-board advice, not law. It advises dropping age, marital status, gender, a recent photo and hobbies unless they relate to the job, and replacing an objective with a summary. Civil Service Commission — CS Form No. 212, Personal Data Sheet The prescribed form for government posts, not a resume. |
| Full home address | Worth a look. City and province are usually enough. Jobstreet Philippines advises leaving off the street address and describes it as a security risk, while its 2025 CV guide asks for your "current city or home address". Give a full address if an employer or a form asks for it. | Jobstreet Philippines — What information should you leave off your resume? 15 to remove (2023) Job-board advice, not law. It calls the street address a security risk and says to add a photo only for modelling or acting. Jobstreet Philippines — CV guide for Philippine job seekers (May 2025) Job-board advice, not law. It asks for your current city or home address and calls a photo common for customer-facing roles. Robert Walters Philippines — How to write a resume for the Philippine market (Jan 2025) Recruiter advice, not law. Its contact block is phone, city, email and LinkedIn, and it advises leaving age off. |
| Government ID numbers (national ID, tax or social security) | Usually left out. Leave these off. Jobstreet Philippines says to share TIN, SSS and Pag-IBIG numbers and an NBI clearance only after a conditional offer. The Data Privacy Act lists social security numbers and other identifiers issued by government agencies as sensitive personal information (section 3(l)). Employers may still ask for these after hiring for payroll and benefits. | Republic Act No. 10173, Data Privacy Act of 2012, section 3(l) Lists social security numbers and other identifiers issued by government agencies as sensitive personal information. It sets duties for those who process them; leaving them off a resume is our recommendation. Jobstreet Philippines — Ways to stay safe when job hunting online (Jan 2026) Job-board advice. It says to share TIN, SSS and Pag-IBIG numbers only after a conditional offer. |
| Parents, spouse or children | Worth a look. The Data Privacy Act says an organisation should collect only data that is adequate and not excessive for its purpose (section 11(d)). That rule governs the employer's collection, not what you choose to write. Family details rarely help a screening decision. | Republic Act No. 10173, Data Privacy Act of 2012, sections 3(l) and 11 Section 11(d) says personal information collected must be adequate and not excessive. It sets duties for those who process personal information, such as an employer, not rules for what you write. |
| Objective statement | Worth a look. Jobstreet Philippines says a career objective is useful for fresh graduates and career changers and optional for experienced applicants, and notes some younger recruiters see objectives as old-fashioned. Kalibrr advises replacing it with a short professional summary. | Jobstreet Philippines — How to write an effective resume objective (Jun 2025) Job-board advice. It says an objective is useful for fresh graduates and career changers and optional for experienced applicants. Kalibrr — Ways your resume could be outdated (Jan 2022) Job-board advice, not law. It advises dropping age, marital status, gender, a recent photo and hobbies unless they relate to the job, and replacing an objective with a summary. |
| Character references with phone numbers | Worth a look. Jobstreet Philippines advises putting references on a separate page, though its 2025 guide says you can list character references. Robert Walters Philippines says "references available upon request" is more common. If you list anyone, ask them first. | Jobstreet Philippines — What information should you leave off your resume? 15 to remove (2023) Job-board advice, not law. It says to put references on a separate page; the 2025 guide says you can list character references, and Robert Walters says "available upon request" is more common. Robert Walters Philippines — How to write a resume for the Philippine market (Jan 2025) Recruiter advice, not law. Its contact block is phone, city, email and LinkedIn, and it advises leaving age off. |
Government jobs use a different form
Government posts use the Civil Service Commission Personal Data Sheet (CS Form No. 212). It is a prescribed form, not a resume. It asks for details that private-sector guides tell you to leave off, so fill in the form as written and check the current version on the Commission's website.
Applying locally and abroad
If you apply both in the Philippines and abroad, keep one version without a photo, age, civil status and religion for employers abroad. The guides for other countries explain what each expects.
Everywhere
Leave government ID numbers off your resume: national ID, tax and social security numbers. Most employers don't need them to decide whether to interview you, and they can be misused. Share a passport number only when an employer asks for it.
Other countries: United States · Canada · Singapore · Japan. See all resume guides.
Guidance, not legal advice. When an employer asks for something specific, follow their instructions.
Check your own resume for the Philippines with the Country check: we flag each item with the reason and let you remove it in one click.
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