US and Philippines Overlap Hours for a Virtual Assistant (Live Shift Times)

The short answer

There is no shared 9-to-5. The Philippines is on Philippine Time (PHT, UTC+8) all year and never changes its clocks. When it's 9:00 AM in New York this week, it's 9:00 PM in Manila. A VA who covers US hours works at night.

So the real question isn't "when do we overlap" but how many of your hours need a live person. For most East Coast teams, a shift covering 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM New York time is plenty. This week that's 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM (next day) in Manila.

The US workday in Manila time

Worked out live for Thu, Oct 29. New York is on EDT and Los Angeles is on PDT this week.

Why the shift moves twice a year

The US uses daylight saving time. The Philippines doesn't. So the gap changes on the US dates, and the VA's shift has to move with it:

In 2026 the US clocks go back on Sunday 1 November. In 2027 they go forward on Sunday 14 March. If your VA's shift is fixed in Manila time, your coverage slides an hour on those dates. If it's fixed in US time, their start time moves instead. Agree which one it is before the switch, not after.

Three shift patterns that work

1. 1
   Full US hours (night shift).

   The VA covers 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM New York, which is 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM (next day) in Manila this week. Right for live support, phones and inbox response targets. It's also the hardest on the VA, so expect to pay for it.

2. 2
   Cover the US morning.

   The VA works 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM Manila time. That starts at 6:00 AM New York time and gives you about five hours of overlap in summer, four in winter. Most US managers do their handoffs and quick questions in the morning anyway.

3. 3
   Async, with one short handoff.

   The VA works a normal Philippine day and you leave tasks in writing. Keep one 15-minute call at the edge of both days: 8:00 AM Manila is 8:00 PM (previous day) in New York. Good for research, data entry, content, bookkeeping and anything that doesn't need an instant reply.

West Coast teams

Pacific time is three hours further from Manila, so a full 9-to-5 lands at 12:00 AM (next day) to 8:00 AM (next day) in Manila. The kindest option is usually to cover the Pacific afternoon, which falls in the Manila early morning, and let the VA finish by midday.

Pay and fairness on night shifts

Philippine labor law gives employees a night shift differential of at least 10% of their regular wage for work between 10:00 PM and 6:00 AM (Labor Code, Article 86). Freelance and contract VAs aren't automatically covered, but many quote a higher rate for US-hours work, and that's fair. Budget for it up front.

For reference, $1 is ₱63.39 at today's rate (22 Oct 2026). As an example, $8 an hour for 160 hours a month is about ₱81,100. The USD to PHP freelance rate page and the Freelance Rate Calculator work out any rate you're quoted.

• Keep the shift the same every day. Rotating nights is worse for sleep than a steady late schedule.
• Don't book meetings at the end of their shift. 4:00 PM New York is the VA's early morning. Put calls in your morning.
• Write things down. Clear written tasks let the VA work through quiet US hours without waiting on you.
• Respect Philippine holidays. They differ from US holidays. Agree on cover for both calendars in advance.

Copy this shift note

VA shift · Thu, Oct 29
New York (EDT): 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Manila (PHT): 8:00 PM to 4:00 AM (next day)
Daily handoff: 9:00 AM New York · 9:00 PM Manila

The Meeting Planner checks any US city against Manila for any date, and its calendar file adjusts for the US clock change on its own. For a quick check, use the US to Philippines overlap table or the Time Zone Converter.