Money to some simply means, "I will eat tonight"

How much money does a person from the Philippines earn or make a day?

From the least paid all the way to the president, I took to the streets to try and find out. The results, while holding no scientific nor Wall Street Journal like quality, are interesting nonetheless.

I say per day, as when I ask people on a lower income, this is what they quote me, exactly:

“I make ___ , sir.”

A middle income person is more reluctant, but will quote by the month using the term “around“.

Upper income people usually just smile. But will happily tell you what everyone else makes.

Cost of living in The Philippines (average, local):

Here’s a rough idea of what local things cost so you can see what a wage quote lower down must be spent on:

• Jeepney ride – 10 pesos (medium distance transport)
• Cost of fuel per liter – p45 +


Is it a pregnant lady? Or a case of wealthy male Pinoy belly: It's actually scary to see so many rich Filipinos who are grossly overweight

• Tricycad – city transport - p6 +
• Small bottle of water – p15-20
• Average local meal with meat – p60

60 pesos (p60) = USD$1.31 approx

The reality of wealth distribution in the Philippines:

A village girl or boy brought to a town to work as a house keeper can be paid as little as 0 to 50 pesos per day. They are given accommodation and meals (basic, as in rice and the floor).

Low income earnings:

The average security person man or woman earns p200 per day

The average guest house / hotel cleaner earns 200 pesos per day

A receptionist (starter) earns: p200 – 300 per day

Middle income earnings:

Filipino's are obsessed with big cars, all the wealthy own one; shame they haven't been reading the rest of the worlds industry reports - or maybe they have been ...

A call center employees earns p10,000 – 18,000 per month

An office administrator earns p10,000 – 20,000 per month

A basic teacher earns p15,000 – 18,000 per month

Note: there are hidden extras in many middle income salaries. Many will also be given a free sack of rice every month, a health care plan and transport. Depending on the job and circumstances.

Upper income:

A doctor earns between p18,000 – 35,000 pesos per month

An airline pilot earns 80- 100,000 pesos per month

Government officials earnings in The Philippines:

Now this was hard to find answers on, I wonder why?

The president earns 40,000 -60,000 pesos per month (everyone laughs when this is mentioned)

A governor earns … ???

The president’s “official” salary was easy to find out. As for a Governor, Mayor or other government officials no one seems to know.

If you happen to know, then please leave a comment (references would be great).

Note: I can’t help but add in here about the massive fringe benefits politicians get in The Philippines. Not forgetting the wealth of political dynasties, shady business partnerships and corruption the countries politicians have been know for. They are amongst the richest here, one way or another. See further below for an example of a $20,000 steakhouse dinner

Expats & overseas workers:

Diplomats earn the same as their civil service salaries back home, plus hardship bonuses (differs depending on origin country). Least to say, they are far from suffering judging by the luxury apartments/ buildings, most live in.

Non owning manager of a corporate overseas business: $USD 80,000 + per year depending on business. (plus other benefits)

Unqualified expat looking for a job – same as a local, unless you get lucky.

A note on small expat businesses in the Philippines: in order to run a registered business in the Philippines you need to be a national. Foreigners generally (that I am aware of) have two options.

1. Marry a local: in which case the local will own the majority share of the company
2. Form a company whereby the BOD has at least 5 Pinoy members

I’ve seen and heard of many a bad story due to the above.

Street girl eating someones leftovers on a plate - is her only hope to escape overseas by any means? Or could she really run for office & eat a little better ...

Equality & fairness in the Philippine salary:

The above is not an official list of salaries by some government body. These are quotes from people either in that job, related to it, from the street or from a news agency and treated as a given average.

What struck me was the salary scale of a call center employee vs a teacher or even a doctor. Call centers are booming in The Philippines, and many graduates would rather work in a call center, rather than in their chosen profession.

Apart that is from those looking to leave the country, via their profession.

Filipinos working overseas:

In my time here I’ve met a staggering amount of Filipinos looking to work overseas. This is actually an industry itself. And no, I am not talking about the return of wealth from overseas workers.

I am talking about the amount of businesses within the Philippines dedicated to getting people jobs overseas. And, to a lesser scale, simply taking the money with idle promises.

Unemployment vs overseas working:

Today’s figures state there about 12 million overseas Filipino workers. The population is around 95 million. That’s roughly about 10% of the population that work overseas.

The unemployment rate is around 8% give or take. How this is actually calculated is beyond me as there’s very to back this up. Living off the land out of necessity and eating nothing but plain rice is considered employed.

Fringe benefits & justice:

Rather than the usual developing country heartache of focusing on people eating nothing but plain rice, children falling asleep due to hunger, or no medical care. I’d like this to highlight the flip side of things.

Whereby some people live very well.

Last year as the Philippines was struggling to cope with the world food crises former President Arroyo spent $15,000 and then another $20,000 on two meals for 60 colleagues whilst visiting the U.S.A. One of which was at a steakhouse where the bill was allegedly footed by a nephew of former president Marcos. The story was reported in many places. Here’s a brief ABS-CBN report.

The follow ups to this were met with non-statements, allegations, rebuttals and the usual “the head of state desires good treatment because …”

Conclusion:

This should give readers a rough insight into how mixed, cumbersome, irrational, fraudulent and bizarre salaries are in The Philippines.

From hand to mouth non earners, to teachers earning less than call center staff to Presidents and their entourages eating $20,000 dinners.

It’s a bizarre scale, and I somehow I don’t think The Philippines is alone in the world in this regard.

And, it would be interesting to see if anyone else can add to this, or disagree with my findings, either in the Philippines, or globally.

I am sure wealth distribution anomalies happen elsewhere too.

Coming Soon:

Documenting my life 101

Plus, a special on bribery within the travel photography community … aka travel photography ethics

Ube in The Philippines

Purple Ube Ice Cream! (click to enlarge)

There are many multicolored food stuff’s in The Philippines. In fact, the nation seems to have no regard for the dangers of artificial colorings and additives whatsoever.

However, there is one natural color that keeps popping up everywhere. Including in food. And, that’s the color purple. Most of this comes from Ube.

What is Ube?

Ube is actually a purple yam, or  tuber which has streaks of violet / purple running through it.

This natural food is often cooked, smashed and made into many into many different products. Ice cream, cakes, breads, pies can all be Ube flavored. Which in turn, makes them all a bright purple!

The ube yam itself is large, and looks a lot like any yam. But on close inspection you will see some purple hinting on the outside. Cut it open and it’s got more streaks of purple.

What does Ube taste like?

When cooked, it’s no different to any other yam in taste.

When made into an ice cream, it comes out bright purple and tasting … well … like a yam too!

A strange taste that takes a while to comprehend. It’s not overly sweet, and it’s not often you’ll come across yam or potato flavored ice cream.

But, it’s good!

I’ve tasted various Ube flavored food stuffs. None, come close to Ube ice cream. It’s unique to say the least.

Check out this 5 photograph selection of Ube!

(after play, click lower right toolbar above for full screen version – Email/RSS subscribers please go to the live travel blog post to see the video)

Ice cream in the Philippines

And, it’s well needed. Ice cream in The Philippines is a terrible disappointment considering the hot climate. Most of the ice cream comes from generic brands like Nestle, and are packed with sugar and artificial everything.

I don’t know if Ube ice cream also has a lot of colorant in it. I hope not. I know the Nestle one does. But for local versions I am hoping it’s all Ube, but have my doubts and think they add purple to it.

On the streets you can often find local homemade ice cream. Usually frozen ice (not the same), with Durian and chocolate flavors being the most popular. Again, not so good as to be called real ice cream.

What is the best ice cream in the Philippines?

The one saving grace for ice cream in the Philippines is Ube. I’ve seen the locally made version and the generic Nestle version. The local one wins. It’s got a real natural taste to it, and is thick and creamy.

So if you ever find yourself in the Philippines, and see a purple container of ice cream, give it a go! It’ll be different, but strangely good!

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Food in the Philippines

Sometimes people have a different idea what it's like to live overseas (click to enlarge)

I’ve both traveled and tried living in the Philippines. Throughout my journals you can see that I have had both a very positive experience, and what I can only call life lessons for this journey.

The Filipino people themselves are very easy going, and it’s hard not to like them.

On the otherhand, I’ve yet to actually say very many nice words about any foreigner I’ve met here.

Why are foreigners not likable in The Philippines?

There are many types of foreigner in the Philippines:  Package holiday makers away for a week or two, couples on honeymoon, the odd wandering backpacker,  an occasional rich movie star, and expats making new lives for themselves.

And, the other kind of foreigner…

The sex tourist foreigner. Mainly North American, and North European. There is however a growing number of Mid Eastern, and African rich types making their way over here too. And yes, they are all male.

I must admit I haven’t come across many foreigners I actually liked in the Philippines during my time here. From drunk foreign men looking for local girls (and the occasional boy). To the rich elite that seem displeased that you also are traveling in the same place as they.

A few exceptions, there are some nice expats in The Philippines:

But under all that, there seems to be a thriving community of genuinely nice expats who are living in the Philippines. Some keep a low profile, while others are a part of huge network.

The people running Nut’s Huts in Bohol are an example of nice foreigner expats. A very friendly couple that were down to earth and easy to talk with.

Mindanao Bob, a great expat living in the Philippines

But, by far the most impressive expat I’ve met is Bob (aka Mindanao Bob) from Davao. I first came across Bob’s name from one of the many websites he runs call Live In The Philippines. I found it when I was searching for some visa information about the Philippines.

Bob’s run’s some great sites:

I left a comment on his website, and he posted back straight away. A few months later, I was looking for more information on the Philippines and again Bob’s website appeared. This time it made it’s way into my bookmarks and I kept on reading.

Then, as I was making my first journey to Davao I took an even closer look at Bob’s site and learned a lot from it. Including a lot about Bob. He has a little section on it about meeting up with him for a coffee. So I sent him an email. He replied and the following week we met up.

Breaking the norm!

I really didn’t know what to expect before meeting Bob. Would he be one of those expats with a younger girlfriend and a constant beer in hand or …

“From website persona to the man himself I am really happy to say Bob is a great guy.”

Married with a son and daughter, Bob’s been living in the Philippines for the over 10 years. He had something better than a beer waiting for me too. He had a freshly brewed coffee from his large collection of coffee beans from around the world.

I was already a bit late in arriving to his beautiful home. And, was worried about missing my bus. But as we sat down and began getting acquainted the time just flew by as did my bus journey. But it was well worth it.

Meet a man who knows more than most expats:

Bob was a wealth of information about the Philippines, and in particular Mindanao. Hence his nickname Mindanao Bob! In fact as I sat there and discussed about meeting other expats in the Philippines, travel, and other things Pinoy I wished that I had met up with Bob a lot sooner.

Bob makes his living through an incredible and well put together colleciton of websites all about the Philippines. He even owns www.mindanao.com. If there was anyone more dedicated to giving the world a more positive and realisic perspective on the Philippines its Mindanao Bob! He also makes a great cup of coffee!

Coming soon:

The beginning of the End … how much does a Filipino actually earn …

The day workers night time street food

Super fresh near glow in the dark marinated meat on the barbecue (click to enlarge)

Local street food stalls are certainly good to try out when traveling. There are usually two types:

1) The one locals regularly go to

2) The one setup for the tourist trade. This one often brings in locals looking for a night out too.

But, there is a hidden third option that few people know about. And, it’s one that I usually try to seek out in most big cities around the world.

The local workers street food stall:

Worker buying food at a night market in The Philippines

Find a dock area, a warehouse district, or a city street near store houses and you are sure to find a workers food market. Some only come out at night, some are 24 hours a day.

The workers night street food stalls I visited in The Philippines usually only appear at around 5.30pm. It’s dark at 6.20pm. A whole road is quite often closed off as makeshift tents and rooftop canopies made from plastic sheets are erected in record time.

Next come the charcoal BBQ street food stands. Long thin metal guttering is the norm here. Filled with charcoal they are placed a little away from the main food area.

Sights and smells of the workers street food barbecue:

As night falls the charcoals take on a red glow. Fresh chicken, pork and fish hiss as they are pre cooked over the hot grills. Wafts of flavorsome smoke rise up as the sounds of the working day conclude. Shutters rattle down. Plastic hits cardboard box. And, relaxing sounds of laughter start to emerge.

A days hard work is over. The local workers still have a long journey home, but first they must eat. For eating here is faster, and cheaper than waiting to go home.  Though a few do opt for the take away option.

But this is also a good time to discuss the day. How much was made? Who sold what? And, of course, politics.

The street food:

It’s plain and simple, but knocks a local food stall into the gutter for value and sheer taste. Here it’s not so much about being fancy, nor about being artistic in culinary display. It’s about real food that tastes good and is value for money.

Ever been to a local food stall and thought the servings were a bit on the small side? Not here. The workers street food stall serves big, and at nearly half the price.

Small bundles of rice wrapped in coconut leaves

At a local street food stall I would pay 120 pesos for a pork steak that, to be honest, has a lot of fat. Here, I paid 45 pesos ($0.90) for pure meat.

A chicken fillet here, oozes with flavor compared to its drier local street food counterpart. It’s the best chicken I’ve had in the Philippines.

The real people eat here:

Now for the best part. In my experience the middle to upper class of Filipino will not eat here. In fact I’ve had many tell me these places have terrible food, and it’s not a good place to go. Many more will add that such places are not safe at all.

I’ve also only ever seen a total of two tourists venture in.

But the local workers here are mind boggling friendly. And, why not. It’s not everyday they get visitors. What’s more, it’s not every year they get people telling them they have great food. Or photographing them.

It’s smiles, or amazement all around. But there is something else. There is a pride there too.

“In a country I’ve seen become obsessed with fast food, corporate life, luxuries and, sadly, corruption; this is where the good people meet.”

These are the average day people working 7 days a week without a break. There are no pretenses here. You are who you are. A hungry person looking for good food.

Other great worker night food stalls around the world:

Rice, calamansi / chili, bbq squid and bbq pork steak all for $1.10 (click to enlarge)

Peshawar in Pakistan is a place filled with them. Night food stalls and workers from the huge day markets, and overland cargo workers. It’s a frenzy of activity.

Army barracks in West Africa are known for great night barbeque’s.

Spain, nip down a few side streets in Barcelona by the docks at dinner time and you’ll find some of the cheapest and tasty food out there.

The workers street food stalls are the “off the beaten path” destination to many a culinary delight:

Local street food is great. But if you ever want to stray into a realm of real life in just about any place in the world, try to find where the workers are.

For it’s here you will find the freshest, tastiest food that you’ll enjoy with some of the most down to earth friendly people on the planet.

A note on the color: Yes, the meat really does look that red! They cover it in a super rich red marinade! Exaggerated by yellow florescent lights. Here, it’s not about gourmet, it’s all about the eating!

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Great food from the Philippines