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08-13-10 13:56 #3855
Posts: 993Originally Posted by GoodEnough
http://antipinoy.com/philippines-a-good-place-to-do-business-for-monopolists-p-aquino-pagcor-and-protectionism/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+antipinoyworldedition+(Anti-Pinoy+:+World+Edition++:))
http://antipinoy.com/how-the-humble-cockroach-symbolises-filipinos-hopes/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+antipinoyworldedition+(Anti-Pinoy+:+World+Edition++:))
[oops ; don't know why the link URL are not highlighted...just copy and paste the above link in your browser]
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08-13-10 12:09 #3854
Posts: 4051Originally Posted by GregLondon
GE
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08-13-10 10:21 #3853
Posts: 4567CS, why don't you just kill yourself...I mean from this list - not literally.
Originally Posted by Bopalula
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08-13-10 09:53 #3852
Posts: 4084Originally Posted by GregLondon
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08-13-10 09:51 #3851
Posts: 634The Phils just got 2% more expensive
Bad news for those relying an ATM s to access funds in the Phils. Until today BPI was the only bank (unless anyone knows of any others) that did not charge a "transaction fee" for the use of foreign based ATMs. Today they added an outrageous 200P per withdrawal charge (2% on the maximum 10,000P withdrawal and of course a higher percentage on lower amounts.)
Because ATM transactions are carried out at the "commercial exchange rate" ie a very low bid/offer spread using your ATM may still be the most economical way to access cash from overseas as if you transfer a large amount and deposit in a Phil bank it will be changed at a retail ex rate which typically has a 5% spread.
I'm thinking of opening a Phil peso account, anyone sufgest which bank is best.So far I've checked BPI and Metrobank - Metrobank has a lower min balance 2000P cf 3000P and less documentation requirements.
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08-13-10 07:34 #3850
Posts: 1685Originally Posted by GoodEnough
The only luxury they had was a Karaoke machine, tv and fridge. Nothing else. And Toilet was not worth mentioning.
Hence, when I am in Manila, if any of the girls want to overnight, even that means no sex, I don't mind- and if I am heading out to a day or two trip and if any girl says if she can use my apartelle. I gladly say yes. Well, it worked ok for me as the girls I am talking are the really gold hearted type, and my letting them enjoy a nice aircon sleep didn't hurt me..
Well, even Makati. Try stepping out and head to the back ends of Kalayaan and that area.
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08-12-10 22:58 #3849
Posts: 4051Many, if not most of the observations posted during the past couple of days focus on life in Manila, specifically Makati and its environs. However Makati and the adjacent areas are the richest area of the Philippines and home to an extremely small percentage of the overall population. Given that the most of the richest people in the country live in this relatively circumscribed space, it's easy to get the wrong impression of the country's true state by basing generalizations on what's happening on or near this small slice of Philippine geography.
In my job, I get to travel to many of the more rural areas and small municipalities in Mindanao--areas that are much more typical of the living conditions of the average Filipino than the glass a chrome architecture of Makati. I suggest that people who have not traveled much outside of the wealthier enclaves haven't seen the real Philippines, and might not enjoy it so much if they spent their time with people struggling to survive on a dollar or two a day.
Even in Manila and other larger urban areas such as Cebu or Davao, once you get away from the gated communities and new condominiums into the "squatter" areas, where people live in tin-roofed shanties, you can get the sense of how the bulk of the population actually lives. If this is a "boom time" for the country, someone forgot to tell the majority of Filipinos of the good times.
The fact is that this is a country that ekes by largely on the "charity of strangers;" that is, the remittances sent home by OFWs who go to work in countries that actually create job surpluses. Even the call center jobs are created largely by foreign companies that invest in the off shore facilities and services. Call centers aside, this place attracts very little in the way of direct foreign investment (less, I think than Vietnam and far less than Singapore), and attracts far fewer tourists than Singapore.
GE
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08-12-10 17:20 #3848
Posts: 6781Originally Posted by goodenough
she was a great physio...even got blow jobs when she looked after me at the hospital...wonderful days in saudi and she was lovely on video also :) i was her 'teacher' and she certainly passed all her exams with me :d
i know a guy who runs the centres from uk but visits and he tells me the same. language test is where many fial but rewards are high and the filipino have a good work ethic generally when they in the centre
but i also know another lady who lost her call centre job as she partied too ahrd (her words) and did not show up 3 times and now wished she could have the work back as the salary is "huge" in her words
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08-12-10 15:52 #3847
Posts: 3281Originally Posted by Red Kilt
I believe the whole problem is overpopulation that the country cannot support with corrupt politicians, lack of infrastructure, lack of industries and investment.
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08-12-10 15:39 #3846
Posts: 1856Originally Posted by Devils 1
AV
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08-12-10 13:09 #3845
Posts: 4051I'm not sure where anyone would get the idea that middle and senior-level managers are making anything comparable to Western salaries. The starting center for call center agent in Manila is Php18000, or less than $400 a month, which is less than someone flipping burgers in McDonald's would make in a week. Mid-level managers might get all the way to about $1,000 or so a month, with more senior levels making twice that if they're lucky. Granted, this would put the latter firmly into the upper echelons of salaried workers here in the Philippines, but it's a pittance by Western standards.
Further, as Red Kilt points out, these salaries are typically utilized to support lots of people, either in Manila or back home in the provinces. This is a country of 100 million people, with an extremely young workforce and few jobs. I don't think anyone really knows the true percentage of unemployed, but an honestly calculated rate would be huge.
It's also important to remember that call center work is reserved for the educated. Typically, call centers require at least two years of college, and the requirements for management require, I am sure, college degrees, which eliminates the vast bulk of the population. Couple this with the fact that approximately 95% of all applicants fail the call center English tests, and again, you're looking at a minuscule percentage of the population that can qualify for these admittedly abundant jobs. The major problem for call centers here is that they cannot recruit a sufficient number of people given the stringent English language requirement and the lousy work hours that require the agents to work at night, since that's when it's daylight in the West.
GE
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08-12-10 12:09 #3844
Posts: 4567I'm going to assume that what you wrote is not exactly what you meant. I recommend a clarification.
You suggest that you are "in the sex industry" and your employee was abc age. I'm pretty sure that is not you AV.
Originally Posted by Amavida
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08-12-10 07:14 #3843
Posts: 1685Originally Posted by Devils 1
But the worldwide economy slowed and a lot of middle class filipinos decided not to pursue the idea, when it became clear that while they can buy an apartment or house, there is no chance of them retiring considering they cannot make any money if the return back home and with so many nefarious taxes in place (BTW, not all countries allow dual citizenship.so those who give up Filipino citizenship end up worse when they realise all the costs back home doubled or tripled.)
Of late, atleast in Singapore, more than enough filipinos have forged ahead with giving up their Filipino citizenship and buy apartments not less than 400, 000 S$ and above, something that could get them a nice landed house back home.
The 'remittance' fuelled economy will run its course, from the days of sailors, it has just turned to nurses and support staff, though with more and more educated filipinos migrating, the remittance economy will not go away. My own take: the days of OFW supporting families back home are going away and the tech-med class is more keen to take their family away with them. And middle class families are rarely in the same class as those who support huge families.
As for call center staff and all. I have enough contacts in call centers. It is a glamour job so much so that while they are touted to be highly paid, as RK mentioned, just about 1% or so is on the high pay bracket. Majority of even specialists end up much lesser. About 10, 000 or so. Which is better than what they could get doing other job but.
The upper mid-class has always been there. I know enough filipinos who take annual overseas vacation, and places like Singapore, HK, Malaysia and even Europe is as the same as any westerner would travel to. Not beyond their reach. I do agree that it is growing. And with more and more of the middle class moving up. With decent salaries, I would sort of agree that some boom is going on.
A case of resentment: in the recently opened casinos in Singapore, Filipino Pit bosses. With their experience in Philippines and in Cruise Ships, are raking in 5 figure salaries, whereas the croupiers who are locals make half of that. Then again there is always the risk of the high fliers slowly replaced by natives.
It is complicated: but I would draw an anology to India. Whereas a decade ago almost every Indian wanted to be in US, now they get comparable pay so much so that many are not even happy to be away from India. And I am not kidding..
Maybe Philippines will get there. Somebody, but not so fast.
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08-12-10 03:08 #3842
Posts: 3230Originally Posted by Devils 1
Your observations about The Fort are based on a very small part of the major city.
It could seem that there is a boom when you see all the condos etc being built all over Manila but you do not need to stray very far outside of ANY major city and the poverty smacks you in the face immediately.
Construction workers get the minimum wages (now close to 300 php per day). They are all unskilled laborers - in fact, I worry about the qualifications of the locally-trained "engineers" supervising all of these constructions but that is another topic.
The percentages of call center workers is minuscule compared to the overall population, and these people on the 15 - 20,000 php per month (big salary) are usually supporting whole families of 6 - 10 persons. The number of middle managers you mention are also way less than 1% of the population.
So Yes - you could be lulled into thinking there was a boom going on, but just read those figures again that I gave in another post and that you quoted. There are a few VERY VERY RICH people in the Phils and a very large number of very poor people. There is a much lower number of "middle-class" families in the Phils than most western countries.
My guess is that 10% rich; 30% middle-class; 60% poor (close to or below the poverty line).
Remember also, 90% of the poor are all rural people. They do not live in Manila, Cebu or Davao.
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08-12-10 02:55 #3841
Posts: 3230Originally Posted by D Cups
For example, in Makati there are many closed communities that cater for the 'filthy rich", with houses all 55 M php and above (Forbes Park, Urdaneta, Dasmarinas etc).
Pasig has all the Valley Verdes and Alexandra etc
Davao has Ladislawa Village.
Cebu has Maria Luisa village
and so on.
However, walk outside ANY of these gated villages (with security and boom gates on every entrance), and you will find beggars and abject poverty just outside the gates.