@MarielB22
13th Month Pay is a Cruel Joke
Before you get on my case about the title, please know that I do know that it helps a lot of people during the Christmas holidays. Ultimately, however, it's a cruel joke that demonstrates a false piety on the part of wealthy employers. Hear me out. Wages The wages in the country are a mere pittance. Minimum wages are different is various parts of the country. For example, Manila pays a "higher" wage than the provinces. Here in my place it is 240 pesos a day. Add in jeep or trike fare and you're lucky to make 200, not to mention eating lunch and paying taxes.
It's a darn shame. And it's a disgrace. For example, construction workers labor all day in the blazing sun, and if they are fortunate, they make 500 pesos a day. In the USA, the some worker makes a minimum of 5000 a day. Some make that in an hour. A false argument Oh, but the US is a richer country! That is certainly true but a false argument. You think for a hot second that Manuel Villar, Enrique Razon Jr, Lucio Tan, and the rest are any less wealthy. Look at the list below. Manuel Villar: $7.2 billion Enrique Razon Jr: $5.0 billion Lucio Tan: $3.3 billion Hans Sy: $3.0 billion Herbert Sy: $3.0 billion Andrew Tan: $2.9 billion Henry Sy Jr: $2.7 billion Harley Sy: $2.7 billion Teresita Sy-Coson: $2.7 billion Tony Tan Caktiong & family: $2.4 billion Elizabeth Sy: $2.4 billion Ramon Ang: $2.4 billion Edgar Sia II: $1.2 billion Roberto Ongpin: $1.1 billion Ricardo Po Sr & family: $1.1 billion And what do they pay their workers? Squat. They spend more on food in a couple of weeks than many Filipinos do in a year. And then there are their luxury purchases. God only knows that amount. The irony Herein lies the irony, what is spent by those who get the 13th month pittance only lines thee pockets of the rich even more. Don't you get it? The cruel joke is on us!
And do our politicians care one iota? Not a bit. They are all rich. Oh, but when election time rolls around, watch how they act. They are phonies, power hungry, and what we can't do, they do freely with no consequences. But at Christmastime they love their photo ops where they hand out a can of sardines and a kilo or two of rice.
The solution and the problem Simply put, it is paying fair wages to all workers. But you won't see any fat cat politicians voting for that, because it hurts their bottom line and their rich friends who drink $200 bottles of wine for dinner. And it's our own fault. We who vote allow the same political dynasties into office year after year after year. Thankfully, I no longer vote because I refuse to be a part of the problem of electing these wealthy leeches. And some of you reading this will gladly accept a bag of rice or 100 pesos to cast a vote for the politicians.
So enjoy your paltry 13th month pay and live it up for a day or two. But remember this, when you are scrapping by from month to month to feed your family, keep in mind you have nobody to blame but yourselves. I am thankful I work for myself.
21 comments
The thing is, and I grant you things are very different in the Philippines than my country, the United States. But here people can participate in the riches. As a general rule, (again, here in the U.S.) wages do not matter in the concept of building wealth and joining the rich. ANYONE here can become rich from nothing. People making minimum wage here can become multi-millionaires and even billionaires. It is done through that participation thing. The people who get rich are those who think beyond wages and paychecks. They ask, "what can I do to make my life better and make an impact?" And many of the rich risk it all to get where they get. It's as hard work as the guy on the asphalt in the blazing sun busting his buns in the daily grind. And what they build provides not only for people to make livings, it provides for people to also be able to invest in the businesses they work for and patronize. Again, things may well be different in the Philippines, but from where I sit, the rich are some of the most important people in the world. Without them, the jobs they create, the products they bring to market, the goods and services they provide... None of us would have anything, including the pittance they offer for our work.
Been to the US and yes, things are way different here. Spend a couple of weeks here and see for yourself. The poverty will sicken you.
It is one thing I say all the time. Send America's poor to some REAL poor countries and one thing will happen. They'll stop their bitching about being poor. Because being poor in the United States is NOT like being poor in other parts of the world. If someone in a truly poor country were to visit the POOREST household in the United States, they would consider that poor person to be very rich.
To a point, yes. Ever lived or been to Skid Row in Los Angeles or to Appalachia?
No.
Proves my point right there. Not trying to argue, but those people are dirt poor. Google it if you ever get time, God bless you.
No one in America is mostly dirt poor, except maybe the homeless. But many of them choose their life.
You continue to push that argument. Where are you from?
The United States.
Well, poor is arbitrary. If you have 10 kids and make $600 a week - you are poor.
Do you know how much these people make in welfare? Rental assistance, energy assistance, food stamps and so on and so forth? They also receive tax returns from the government, mostly having paid no taxes at all. In some cases to the tune of $6,000. If you add up all combined programs and then add in the tax benefits, the average poor household actually receives about $60,000 a year in total. As for someone who is poor having 10 kids, that's another discussion. If you cannot afford them you should not have them. Just like you can't drive a BMW if you can't afford anything but a Kia, or you can't live in a mansion when you make minimum wage. I do not mean to disparage the poor. But in America most of the poor are there by their own design. But they are not starving by any means, and hard working people have to pay their way, which is entirely unfair.
I'm not going to continue this argument. In fact, you can get off off my page.
I feel your grief. What a shame. I wouldn't step out of my house to work for $10. Here in New York construction workers make 1000 pesos an hour. A waitress makes $400 a day.
Good for them. Those are deserving wages.
Yes they are.
Hot damn! Sounds like it's time for a 1986 style revolution.
Never happen. People are far to weak.
True as a barbed wired fence will rip yer jeans.
HaHaHa!
And in my country there is nothing better. Maybe it's worse before the election. The salary is very low. The lowest salary for a month is below 300 dollars. But so are those who are rich. I work for myself, I don't agree to a kilo of rice 😊
Good for you. Bad salary there, too.