Sexter wrote: This girl had a job at a drugstore so she wasn't hard core poor or desperate and actually is quite cute. Is she higher class, no. Is she maybe middle class? Mmmmm, I dont know, cant really tell. Here is her photo though. I dont see anything wrong with this sweet honey. If I hadn't of met Jovi, I would have hard core followed up with this girl.
uhh, she probably only makes like 200-300$ a month working full time at her job. IF she had the same job in america, she could easily be racking in 2000-3000$ a month.
in USA standards, making 200-300$ a month isn't middle class, that's below poverty. In the philippines ,making 200$ is probably middle class.
If your family income in the Philippines is $200, you are not middle class, you are very poor. Now I will leave the estimates around Manila to Mr S, as that is not my area. But in the south, Cebu and Mindanao, I have expertise here. I am not making wild guesses, I know the reality.
I employ two Filipino Web developers/code writers in Cebu City. Both of these guys are quite skilled, about 35 years of age with years of experience, and near the top of the pack in their fields for the area. Both of them make from between $800 to a thousand a month, depending
on their workload and incentives that month. They are middle class. They both have modest cars, a house with full plumbing and appliances,
and well stocked pantries. They are both family men with a couple of kids and wives who have working sidelines that bring in some extra money. The both have a ya-ya, or housekeeper, money saved in the bank, and live on less than what they earn.
My wife's father is a mining engineer. He makes about P50,000 monthly- about $1,200 monthly. He is middle class.
A waitress named Marisa at my favorite cafe in Davao makes about P6000 monthly- about $120. She lives at home, with both mom and dad working and the all pool their money. I would estimate their family income at about P15,000, about $350. They are a poor family, but better off then some as they have appliances and a used computer at home hooked up to wireless. They are poor, but the kids all have shoes and enough to eat. Can they afford a car? No. Families like this are often in hock to loan sharks. This family at least, it not, so that gives them some
extra advantage.
A squatter family in Cagayan de Oro might have one or two men working at labor jobs. Their family income might be around
P6000. (about $143) They are always near destitute and usually desperate.
This is all about how it breaks down in my area of the Philippines. (and most of the south is considered the "poor part of the country").
This might help clear up defining what is middle class in the Philippines. Mr. S could give you better data from around metro-Manila.
Outwest
Misamis Oriental, Mindanao