Application Letter (Sample, Template for Any Position, Teacher, Fresh Graduate and Tagalog)

The three ways to use this format

The online version switches between English and Tagalog with the tabs above the form. Whichever you choose, attach the letter to your resume or biodata. Government applicants also attach the Personal Data Sheet. Nothing you type is stored on our server.

What an application letter is, and when employers in the Philippines still ask for one

An application letter is your formal request to be considered for one particular job. The resume lists everything you have done; the letter picks the two or three things that matter for this opening and explains them in sentences. A recruiter screening 200 applicants for one Customer Service Representative slot reads the first paragraph of the letter to decide whether to open the resume at all.

Most job postings on PhilJobNet, at PESO job fairs and on company career pages still list “application letter” among the requirements, especially for government offices, public and private schools, banks, hospitals and provincial employers. Large BPOs and online platforms often skip it and use an online form instead. Where the posting says “send your resume and application letter”, a missing letter usually means your file is not forwarded to the hiring manager. For the full list of what to prepare, see the 18-item employment file checklist.

Application letter format: the parts, in order

Philippine employers expect the standard business-letter layout. Use one font (Arial or Calibri 11–12, or Times New Roman 12), single spacing, a blank line between paragraphs, and 1-inch margins on short bond paper (8.5 × 11 inches) unless the posting asks for A4.

Application letter sample for any position

An “any position” letter is for walk-in applications, job fairs and companies that are not advertising a specific opening. It still needs a target: name the department or the type of work, then say you are open to related roles. A letter that says only “any vacant position” reads as if you did not research the company.

Application letter for teacher (DepEd and private schools)

Teacher applications are screened against a points system, so the letter must make the screener’s job easy. For a public school, address the Schools Division Superintendent of the division where you are applying, name the position (Teacher I), the level and subject area (for example Secondary, English major), and state that you passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers with your PRC license number. Follow the requirements list in the division’s posted hiring announcement; DepEd updates its hiring guidelines from time to time, so check the division memo for the order currently in force rather than copying a reference from an old sample.

Private schools usually want the letter addressed to the principal, school director or HR, and care more about subject mastery, demo-teaching readiness and extracurricular work. In both cases, mention your teaching practicum or prior teaching, the grade levels you handled, and one measurable result such as a reading program or a club you advised.

Short sample: application letter for Teacher I

Dear Sir/Madam: I respectfully apply for the position of Teacher I (Secondary, English) in the Schools Division of [City/Province] for School Year [year]. I am a graduate of Bachelor of Secondary Education major in English from [school], and I passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers in [month, year], PRC License No. [number]. During my practice teaching at [school], I handled four Grade 8 sections and designed a remedial reading program that moved 23 learners up one reading level in one quarter. I also coached the campus journalism team for the division press conference. I have attached the documents listed in the division’s hiring announcement. I would be grateful for the chance to take the demonstration teaching and interview. Respectfully yours, [SIGNATURE OVER PRINTED NAME]

Application letter for fresh graduate (no work experience)

A fresh graduate’s letter should not open with “Although I have no experience…”. Lead with what you do have: your course and school, your OJT or internship and what you actually did there, your thesis or capstone if it relates to the job, leadership in an organisation, and any certifications (TESDA NC, Google, Microsoft, typing speed). One specific number beats three adjectives.

If this is your first job, you can get your NBI clearance, police clearance, barangay clearance and PSA birth certificate free once under the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act. You need a barangay certification of first-time jobseeker status first. See the costs table on the employment hub.

Short sample: application letter for fresh graduate

Dear Ms. Santos: I am writing to apply for the Junior Accounting Assistant position posted at the Quezon City PESO job fair on October 20, 2026. I recently completed BS Business Administration, major in Financial Management, at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. During my 300-hour OJT at a Quezon City trading company, I encoded and reconciled about 400 sales invoices a month and helped prepare the monthly bank reconciliation, which my supervisor reviewed without corrections for the last two months. I am proficient in Excel (VLOOKUP, pivot tables) and type 55 words per minute. I would welcome the chance to learn your systems and contribute from my first week. My resume is attached, and I am available for an interview at your convenience. Sincerely yours, MARIA CLARA S. DELA CRUZ

Application letter in Tagalog (Filipino): sample and tips

A letter in Filipino is perfectly acceptable for many LGU positions, barangay offices, local businesses, and jobs where the posting itself is in Filipino. Use the same structure as the English letter. Address the reader as “Ginoo” (Mr.) or “Ginang” (Mrs.) or “Binibini” (Miss), use “po” consistently but not in every clause, and close with “Lubos na gumagalang,” above your signature. Switch on the Tagalog tab in the generator to get the full template.

Halimbawa ng application letter sa Tagalog

Mahal na Ginoong Reyes: Ako po ay sumusulat upang mag-aplay sa posisyong Customer Service Representative na inyong inanunsiyo sa PhilJobNet noong Oktubre 20, 2026. Nagtapos po ako ng BS Business Administration sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines noong 2019. Sa aking nakaraang trabaho, humahawak ako ng humigit-kumulang 60 tawag bawat araw at nanatiling mataas ang marka ko sa customer satisfaction. Marunong po akong gumamit ng CRM at ticketing system, at handa akong pumasok sa panggabing shift. Kalakip po ng liham na ito ang aking resume at transcript of records. Umaasa po ako na mabibigyan ninyo ako ng pagkakataong makapanayam. Maraming salamat po sa inyong panahon. Lubos na gumagalang, MARIA CLARA S. DELA CRUZ

How to fill it, section by section

Your details

Write your full name exactly as it appears on your government ID and diploma, including your middle initial: Maria Clara S. Dela Cruz. HR matches this name against your NBI clearance, PSA birth certificate and transcript later, and a mismatch (for example “Ma. Clara Delacruz”) creates questions at onboarding.

Give one mobile number you actually answer, in the +63 917 123 4567 format, and a professional email built from your name. Recruiters often call from unknown landlines in the afternoon; if you miss the call, many move to the next applicant. Your complete street address is optional in an emailed letter; city and province are enough. In a printed letter for a local employer, give the full address because some prefer applicants who live near the site.

Employer and position

Find the hiring person’s name and title. The posting, the company’s page or a call to the reception desk usually gives it. “Mr. Jose Antonio R. Reyes, Human Resources Manager” is far stronger than “To the HR Department”. For government and DepEd, use the head named in the announcement, with the correct honorific, for example “Dr.” for a superintendent who holds a doctorate.

Copy the position title exactly as posted, including any plantilla item number for government jobs. Screeners sort letters by position; “Customer Service Representative (Night Shift, Makati)” goes into the right pile, “any available position” may not. Say where you saw the opening: PhilJobNet, a PESO job fair, the company website, or a named referrer inside the company (with their permission).

Your qualifications

This is the body of the letter: one or two paragraphs that answer “why you, for this job?”. Read the posting and pick the two or three requirements that look most important, then give one piece of proof for each. Proof means a number, a result or a named tool: “handled 60 calls a day”, “reconciled 400 invoices a month”, “passed the LET in March 2026”.

Do not repeat the resume line by line. The letter should make the reader want to open the resume, not replace it. Keep salary out of the letter unless the posting asks for an expected salary; if it does, give a range in pesos, for example ₱22,000 to ₱25,000 a month.

Closing and signature

End with a short paragraph that lists what you attached, when you are available for an interview, and how soon you can start. Then thank the reader once. Choose the complimentary close that fits the employer: “Respectfully yours,” for government, schools and senior officials; “Sincerely yours,” or “Very truly yours,” for private companies. Only the first word is capitalised, and it is followed by a comma.

Sign in blue or black ink above your printed name in capitals. For an emailed letter, either insert a scanned signature or simply type your name; do not paste a signature image so large that it pushes the letter to two pages. Save the file as a PDF named with your surname and the position, for example DelaCruz_CSR_Application.pdf.

Eight application letter mistakes that cost the job before the interview

Application letter vs cover letter vs letter of intent vs resume

Filipino job seekers hear all four terms, sometimes for the same document. The practical difference is who reads it and what it is attached to.

If a posting asks for both a letter of intent and an application letter, they want one letter; write an application letter that states your intent in the first sentence. Once you are hired, the next letters in your employment file are usually the certificate of employment request and, eventually, the resignation letter.

What an employer can and cannot ask you to declare when you apply

Your application letter does not need personal details beyond your name and contact information. Two laws shape what an employer may demand at the application stage. The Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act (RA 10911, 2016) makes it unlawful to print or publish job notices with an age preference or limit, to require applicants to declare their age or birth date, or to decline an application because of age. The Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) requires that personal data be collected for a declared, legitimate purpose and be proportional to that purpose.

Free pre-employment documents for first-time jobseekers

Employers will ask for supporting documents after your letter and interview. Under the First Time Jobseekers Assistance Act (RA 11261), a first-time jobseeker pays no government fees for the police clearance, NBI clearance, barangay clearance, medical certificate from a public hospital (laboratory fees excluded), PSA birth and marriage certificates, transcript of records from a state university or college, and TIN. You first get a barangay certification that you are a first-time jobseeker; you must have lived in the barangay for at least six months. Each document is free once, and the certification is valid for one year.

Where to send your application letter safely

Use legitimate channels. PhilJobNet (philjobnet.gov.ph) is DOLE’s free job-matching portal, and every city and municipality has a Public Employment Service Office (PESO) under RA 8759 that runs job fairs and referrals. See where to look for jobs. For work abroad, apply only through agencies licensed by the Department of Migrant Workers and check that the job order is approved on dmw.gov.ph; overseas money claims later go to the NLRC, so keep a copy of everything you send.

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