Why Are We So Underpaid?
By candyfairy21
@candyfairy21 (2039)
Philippines
March 11, 2010 12:30am CST
Hi fellas,
I just want to get it all out because it has been bugging me for a couple of days now. Seeing the politicians populate the tv commercials makes me sick. I'm sorry but I have lost faith in any politician because it seems to me all they have are words... empty, meaningless words, that eventually turn into lies. They're so good when they are campaigning for votes and they forget the masses when they are in office.
My country has 90% literacy rate, even the sales ladies in the malls are either college graduates or college undergraduates. We are so blessed with a talented pool of manpower but is unappreciated by those who hold seat in the government. The people are so underpaid, while taxes are high, and there is inflation left and right. The basic necessities like food, clothing etc. are very expensive, yet the government's eyes are closed, not that they are blind but they just look the other way. They'd rather let the millionaires earn more millions and the grassroots in the society go hungry! Where is compassion in this? Is there equality and justice?
Taxes are heavily imposed on the small businessmen while they make leeway for the multinational giants. They know most people are underpaid but they do nothing to make things better for the people. Nurses, doctors, dentists, teachers etc. are all underpaid and when these skilled workers migrate to other countries they scream "who will stay? We need you", yes they need us to stay but do you take care of us? Do you care how we are going to make both ends meet? How we will raise our families? How We will get through everyday? I may not sound patriotic and really I do not care.
The preamble in our constitution says: We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of the almighty God,in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony,and secure ourselves and our posterity,the blessings of independence and democracy, under the rule of law and regime of truth, justice, freedom,love,equality and peace, do ordain and promulgate this constitution.
Article 2 section 1 of the said constitution states that :The Philippines is a democratic and republican state. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.
It is clearly stated whose authority they are using, and that's the people's authority. People who placed them in office that they abuse. When they are in office they become the sovereign one, and they do all that they want. Corruption here and there, making their bellies bigger, while Juan dela Cruz goes to bed at night with an empty stomach and has tons of bills to pay. Good healthcare system is readily available for those who can afford, while those who cannot afford waits in line for the doctor to see them, or they die because they cannot afford to buy medicines. Though we cannot blame the rich for having access to good health care because they have worked for it, we ask the government what happened to our tax money? Why is there no change in the system? Are they going to leave things this way? Why don't they hire new employees so they could cater to the needs of the people? Why do they always give the excuse that there is no budget for hiring new employees? I have been hearing that lame excuse and its " same old, same old lame excuse"!
The Palace can afford to take many expensive trips abroad and whose money is that? While the common people labors everyday with sweat and blood and are still underpaid. So, why are we so underpaid?
6 responses
@tigerdragon (4297)
• Philippines
11 Mar 10
Do not blame the politicians, blame it to the filipinos themselves. Most filipinos tend to point fingers on someone else when things go bad. Whoever the filipinos chooses to be in the seat of power, things will only get a liitle better. You are correct in saying the filipinos are underpaid working in the philippines whereas, their sills are well appreciated and well commensurated abroad. The philippine government is still in it's growing pains. The philippine governmnet was only instituted independently during the commonwealth era under Pres. Manuel L.Quezon and based their constitution under the United States Government and it was only amneded during the 60's, once. Cosiderably, the philippine government has a faster political growth than other asian countries. Economically, sad to say, the philippines is still not at par even with indonesia. You see, the philippines has not yet found the balance to stabilize her government and economy.
Now, let us go back to the employees' salary. If you can recall your economics 101 on the simple premise of law of supply and demand. A certain company cannot increase their employees salary just because there are less consumers due to the consumer's lack of resources, which is thewir income. Now, if your answer to this problem is to increase the wages then that certain company would not survive and eventually fold up or seek other investment opportunities abroad.thus, making things worst, lack of employment. Do you know that the cost of living in the Philippines is fairly minimal as compared to other places? even if we are to consider the average income of an average filipino worker. Yes, if filipinos work abroad they earn thrice or five times as much but the question is , are most overseas workers happy? Why do you think that after the world economic crises , most filipinos living in the U.S wants to come back and work here even if it means that their salary would be less than what they were getting.
In short, we should not blame anyone for the lack of what the filipinos deserve. In whatever filipinos can do for themselves and for his neighbors, that is where change will start. Change of mindset.
@candyfairy21 (2039)
• Philippines
11 Mar 10
you are right living in the philippines is fairly minimal compared to other places. But fair to who? to those who can afford it. yes they all want to come back when they have money but when they were starting out they all wanted to go out because their wages could not meet their needs. Yes we have to blame ourselves for putting them in the seat of power however, you know quite well what they do when they are there. When they are elected into office it is them who have more power and authority over matters that affects everyone. I hope you see the point. I get your principle on supply and demand however, in other places there are jobs that are not paying that much but it is still within what is the prescribed limit and still will be able to afford small luxuries in life. here it is not being followed, most especially in provincial places they pay their workers below the prescribed minimum daily wage. let me ask you , if you are a regular employee and you are just being paid 100 pesos daily wage, minus taxes and other contributions do you think that would suffice? and oh sundays not counted.
@tigerdragon (4297)
• Philippines
15 Mar 10
well said, candyfair. You see, it's about ones own personal perspective and priority. One can't have both sides of the coin facing up at the same time. true, most filipinos living and working abroad are much better off, financially. There are some things they have to live without like the basic life support of frienda and relatives, and the casual r&r. Let's face it, it,s a dog eat dog world living and working outside of the philippines. There is nothing like living and working in your own native land. The filip[inos, by nature are too complacent working in the philippines but when they step into foreign soil, they become their productive self. Anyone can make it here, even filipinos themselves, they just haven't experienced what's on the otherside but once they knew, they know how to live here. From all the friends I have talked to, there is nothing like living and working in the philippines because everything that we need is here and what is lacking is our own personal drive to make it happen. Abroad, when one get's retrenched, it's gonna take toll on their psyche because of the pressure to come up with money to survive.Whereas, in the philippines, when all of sudden you don't have a job, your friends, family and relatives will support you until you find one. And anyone can come up of so many ways to come up with money by selling a lot of different items, and that is tax free. and still have the luxury to be with friends and have a bit of r&r every now and then.So, the pressure is not much.Thus, still maintaining a certain peace of mind.
Like I have mentioned, people have this basic instinct to blame other people for their misfortune but what we don't realize is that it should all start from us. The economic crunch is not localized, it's worldwide. People are starting to point fingers on who is to blame for this. The reality is that we are already inside the storm.So, the next question is, what we're gonna do? Given the fact that we are all suffering economically, we should start changing our old paradigm of survival by doing what is right and not depend on government to do it for us. Things will change, if we all start change within ourselves. Ranting and bickering and pointing fingers is not the only answer for government to change. Remember, THE Government are the people.
To answer your premise. Yes, one can live with a hundred a day, that is if one lives under his or her parents abode, pack's lunch and drive a bike going to work. A daily wage earner gets paid at an average of three hundred per day, take home pay won't go as far down as a hundred.
@arreolabryan (856)
• Philippines
12 Mar 10
Because our law is allowing it. The rich gets richer and the poor gets poorer unless they find other ways than to work for the rich
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
11 Mar 10
Your country workforce policies need to be revamped and a strong leadership needed to check and balance the nation's economic stability and the wealth of the country be equally shared by her citizens. No single group should monopolize the wealth of a country and leaving others in hardship. It will create unhappiness among the professionals as well as the other salaried workers when they feel they are not well compensated for their jobs. When these professionals leave the country for greener pastures, it will create a problem as their expertise is much needed for the progress and development of the country.
@franz0425 (76)
• Philippines
12 Mar 10
That is how important our votes are. We are the one putting them in their positions, and therefore we should take it into a big consideration the politicians we vote for. And also above all, we should also ask the divine intervention, that He may help our country alleviate from such poverty and sufferings. May He touch the hearts of every politicians, that they may do their best for the betterment of our nation. God will reward all our sufferings. We just have to lift and offer everything to Him.
@phoenix8606 (4942)
•
11 Mar 10
hi candyfairy! well, i think that you and we all are so underpaid, because some people in the government still be so greedy for money, that sometimes they even forget what are they doing and steal the money fro us, not only with days or months, they steal it from years. and what have we to do- just sitting quiet and pay our taxes so that these a*sholes can take their high amounts for the big NOTHING that they are doing 
@codycooper (28)
• United States
12 Mar 10
we are so unederpaid because every bussiness is money hungry just like everyone else if you had a hundred dollars you wouldnt give it to someone else because you would need it
