Approximately 20% of the Philippine population works abroad, which has significant social consequences for the country. In Manila, one of my classmates at EMT/Paramedic school named Ben questioned why he should stay in the Philippines and earn no income. In comparison, paramedics in the United States are not highly paid. It would surprise American paramedics to learn that Ben already earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from university. Fran Aycocho, a former paramedic, stated that nursing is the most costly major and shared that his daughter recently completed her first year of nursing studies.
The salary for an RN in Manila is about 5,000 pesos per month. However, despite the low pay, many individuals still choose to pursue a nursing career in the Philippines. This is because nursing is seen as the best opportunity to escape the country and secure a higher-paying job abroad. In a nation where 80% of the population earns less than two dollars per day, even jobs as caregivers, which offer a weekly salary of $100 to $150, appear attractive to impoverished families.
In the US, Filipino nurses can make in a day what they earn in a whole month working back home in the Philippines. This has created intense competition for these sought-after jobs abroad. To secure these opportunities, Filipinos have to stand out from other candidates by possessing impressive qualifications, which requires dedicated studying and preparation. In my paramedic class, 19 out of 28 students are nurses who aim to gain an advantage when applying for the lower-ranking position of paramedic by leveraging their additional qualifications. Their objective is to surpass competitors who may not have the same level of expertise.
Although many Filipinos dream of immigrating to America, the Arab world is actually their preferred destination due to financial reasons. In countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait, Filipino paramedics can earn a monthly income that surpasses what most Filipinos earn in a year. Furthermore, they are provided with complimentary accommodation and meals.
The overseas Filipino worker (OFW) has become a prominent figure in Philippine society. They even have a separate category on arrival cards at the airport and go through a different line at immigration. Frank shares cautionary tales about the risks OFWs face based on his own experiences returning from Saudi Arabia with several months’ worth of cash. He warns about taxi drivers who take detours down dark alleys while their accomplices rob unsuspecting OFWs. It is crucial for OFWs to remain vigilant!
During my time in Hong Kong, I frequently encountered numerous young and beautiful Filipinas leisurely strolling through the park on Sundays. Many of them worked as caregivers, nannies, or maids and Sunday was their only day off. Instead of splurging their modest salaries at malls,
they would gather in Hong Kong’s parks to enjoy picnic lunches and catch up with friends.
The Filipino workers union in Hong Kong invited me to join them, where I discovered that Filipinos now constitute one of the largest ethnic groups, with a population exceeding 150,000 individuals. This trend is even more evident in other countries like Qatar, where Filipinos make up 30% of the total population. While some men have well-paying jobs in factories or as drivers, women predominantly work as domestic helpers, which often exposes them to underpayment and different forms of abuse. When asked why they endure isolation in a foreign land, their common response is the inability to earn sufficient income back home in the Philippines and the need to support their younger siblings. The struggle against endemic poverty is an unrelenting reality within the country. Even educated and hardworking individuals who present themselves well upon arrival for studies or employment face economic hardships that would be unimaginable for most Westerners. For instance, my acquaintances are compelled to buy everyday items in small sachets due to financial constraints preventing them from purchasing larger quantities. Consequently, they can only afford limited amounts of laundry detergent enough for one or two loads and toothpaste packaged into small foil containers intended for just a few brushings.
Cigarettes are sold individually. Additionally, I sent a friend of mine to the store with 100 pesos to purchase shampoo for me. My expectation was to receive a bottle of shampoo. However, my friend returned without using the 100 pesos and asked if I wanted one or two sachets instead. Similarly, when I attempted to buy a large bag of coffee for my room, I could only find individual sachets for sale. The entire economy has adapted to the reality that most people do not have enough money to sustain themselves throughout the month, resulting in daily shopping habits. A significant portion of the population engages in side businesses that provide them with daily cash, which is their means of survival.
The low monthly salary in Manila is not enough for workers to sustain themselves for a whole month, forcing them to sell items either on the street or from their homes. Furthermore, ATMs are uncommon and many workers lack a bank account. As per a government employee, their salary is always depleted before the month concludes due to essential expenses like housing, food, and school fees for their kids. Additionally, a friend explained that individuals earning less than 20,000 pesos per month may resort to stealing utilities such as water, electricity, or cable.
At a random street corner, I waited in the car while he entered a suspicious building. “Pawn interest,” he explained as he returned to the driver’s seat. “I had to pawn my bracelet again this month.” Another friend needed rent money and asked if I could pawn his ring. A bicycle-riding Indian was selling cookware nearby. According to my friend, “those guys earn a lot of money. They visit houses and showcase the cookware to women. If they want to purchase it, they only have to pay 10 pesos per day. He then collects ten pesos every day.
In the end, they end up paying 300 percent of the value of the cookware. However, even microfinance provides opportunities for crime. Gangsters often trail behind Indians on bikes and rob them when they are carrying a lot of cash. As you drive through Manila, you will pass through large squatter communities, which consist of massive two-story makeshift dwellings made of scrap wood and aluminum. Frank explained that most of the police and army reside in these squats because they have no other option with their average monthly income possibly only amounting to 5,000 pesos. Squatting is not free as someone goes around to collect rent each month.
My friend, Alex, grew up in a squat where plumbing was non-existent, and a river of urine flowed down the street just inches from their front door. Despite these difficult living conditions, Alex persevered and eventually became a singer in bars in Japan, earning a significant amount of money. After returning to Manila, he opened his own singing studio and now teaches singing to movie stars. When I asked him about his time in the squat, he seemed visibly disturbed, as if it were a painful memory he preferred not to revisit. Curious about their bathroom arrangements, I inquired how they handled their bowel movements. Alex explained they used a bag, which they would then toss out the window, humorously referring to it as a “flying saucer.” This method was not without risk, as being hit by one of those bags was highly undesirable. On a different note, our mutual friend Jerome frequently complained about the high cost of KFC, yet constantly asked if we could go eat there due to the offer of free phone charging.
The KFC restaurant offers a convenient service for customers by providing electrical receptacles near the cash register, allowing them to charge their phones while enjoying their meal. This feature has gained popularity among many people who visit KFC, often ordering fries and a Coke as they wait for their phone to recharge. Whenever I hang out with my friend Jerome, he always suggests going to KFC, which makes me wonder if he lives in an unconventional housing situation.
During my first trip to Manila, I was fascinated by the large number of people who lingered on the streets. When I inquired about their activities, someone explained that they were waiting in line for the Overseas Employment Agency to open. A foreign tourist once jokingly asked about Manila’s favorite sport and received the response that it is “waiting for an overseas job.”
To regulate Philippine Overseas Employment agencies, the government requires registration for all of them. These agencies typically charge a minimum fee of 10,000 pesos to assist individuals in finding jobs abroad and handling visa paperwork. Unfortunately, this fee is beyond the means of many impoverished families.
Many families often accumulate a significant amount of debt in hopes that when one of their members starts sending money back home, it can be utilized to pay off the loan. Unfortunately, there are numerous scams prevalent in this scenario. These scams involve unregistered companies that deceive individuals by falsely offering job opportunities and keeping the upfront placement fees for themselves. Furthermore, these scams go beyond financial exploitation as they lead girls to believe they will work as hotel receptionists in Malaysia but instead force them into prostitution,” Ben revealed. On average, Filipino families usually comprise two parents and five to six children.
Statistics show that if 20% of Filipinos work overseas, this means that one out of every five individuals is absent from the country. Consequently, on average, each Filipino household has at least one immediate family member residing abroad. Arvin, a classmate who spent his childhood in Qatar, highlighted that it’s not only an individual but sometimes an entire family who works in foreign nations. For example, Arvin’s parents and older siblings are employed in Qatar while his younger siblings are currently pursuing higher education to become eligible for job opportunities abroad. Similarly, another trainee named JR recently took his nursing oath after successfully passing his board exams. Having grown up and attended a Filipino school in Qatar, JR’s journey has steered him towards a career as a paramedic.
