Average Filipino Family Income About 20,000 Pesos A Month

[Mike S]

Hummmmm .... interesting .... I don't spend $1200 per month here ..... my budget is around $1100 .... yes I have more but that is what we budget .... I would say they are living high on the hog as I sure don't live like a pauper .....

:cheersty:

[ekimswish]

 

Some of that average is spent on medical emergencies, immigration

 

Warning Bell.jpg

 

 

So you they have medical emergencies every month :unsure:  this, i would definitely, question. Who's immigration stuff? whilst they are in the PI, they have no immigration to deal with, if they were in the US, you would deal with it there.

 

I have to say, if this was me, I would be hearing the Warning bells loud and clear.  :rolleyes:

 

 

$1.200 a month, That's 2.4 times the average, contained in this Topic we are talking about. With that sort of money, you could run 2 families, mmm maybe you are :rolleyes:  Stranger things have Happened.

 

 

 

:tiphat:

 

All this talk of warning bells is futile. Everyone brings it up and I TOTALLY understand. I've been hearing them for seven years of marriage. But we have two young children who are really happy so what am I supposed to do about it?

 

(This might be new thread territory).

 

I've always banked my hope on things will get better when the kids are older and/or the wife is a permanent resident in Canada and free to work and earn money. She's talked a huge game for seven years about how she wants to work, not raise kids. Now, she's had an open work permit for three weeks and hasn't lifted a finger to get a job. When I give her job advice, she argues and says she wants the other job instead. I challenge her to do it and quit acting scared. 

 

Warning bells are fine, and doubting their explanations in the Philippines is fine, but at the end of the day I'm trying to get the step-kids here so I don't have to take anyone's word for it anymore. There are immigration related issues we're dealing with (such as getting passports for minors without their mother there), and it's not surprising how bad my in-laws' health is. I'm just dealing with it a day at a time until I don't have to deal with it anymore. 

[Ynot]

I must admit im very skeptical about statistics, and even more so about that average of 20,000 peso a month.  From my limited experience talking to my gf, when she is working on Mactan island she earns the prescribed amount which is about 378 peso a day.   But two of her sisters are working for only 180 peso a day on Mactan island Cebu. One of them must work 7 days a week, no overtime and her day is a 12hours a day. So that average seems like a pipe dream for my gf and her sisters.  But then again it depends what criteria they used in formulating their dodgy 20000 figure.

[Jack Peterson]

There are immigration related issues we're dealing with (such as getting passports for minors without their mother there)

 

 

Sorry to say this but it seems you are on your own in this, just what sort of wife doesn't want to  bring up kids she already has. ekimswish, I don't think  your Health will hold out too long, the way you are carrying on,

 

You have, according to " I am Bob", a very good, Philippine Embassy, in Canada, contacting them about advice on  the childrens passports should be a route you must take.

 

It may seem callous and hard, but I find this leaving the kids behind, just unacceptable, it makes life for the mother very easy, She is in Canada, and from what you say, living a damn good life but it sounds, as if she is work shy, despite what she tells you. Now we are getting the Full story it becomes obvious you need sit her down and do some serious talking. My Friend, You are as I said, Keeping 2 families going, You can't do that forever. Please, sit yourself down and give yourself a Good talking to.

 

Obtaining passports for the Children is not going to be easy, where the Mother is not Present but Just for your information and not to be blinded by stories, it is the DFA that deal with passports, not immigration. each Embassy has a DFA department so email them and see what happens. Of course your wife must help you on this or will that start more anguish?

 

I do hope that you can get things worked out, but it will take both of you to come to terms with the issues you have, marriage is a partnership and it sounds like it is all one sided,  After 7 years, life should be a walk able street not an Uphill struggle with 2 suitcases

 

 

 

Sorry if I sound Hard and unsympathetic but you must be stronger my friend. For me, I would have had more to say on all Fronts, I believe, you may have been used.

You say she just wants to go back to PI, For Me I would have bought mine the ticket and she would have left, with what she brought, nothing.

 

 If I am out of order I am sorry but the more you open up the more smells come out. That's a shame as it sounds like you really care for them all.

 

 

 

Here to help where we can, we don't always get it right but usually, there is a grain of truth in our own stories that can make sense in others problems.

 

Be Lucky and fingers crossed for those Kids you are missing. :thumbsup:

 

regards JP :tiphat:

[gmb8585]

Just my opinion, but $1200 Cdn a month to send is a ludicrious,insane amount to send to support 3 people in the philippines, no matter what the circumstances. That equates to 48,000p, about the salary earned each month by 3 teachers or 5 shop assistants in a major department store. How did you happen to arrive at such a figure?  No matter what anyone may say to the contrary, $300 cdn (12000p) is more than enough for them to not only survive, but thrive.

[Jake]

I must admit im very skeptical about statistics, and even more so about that average of 20,000 peso a month.  From my limited experience talking to my gf, when she is working on Mactan island she earns the prescribed amount which is about 378 peso a day.   But two of her sisters are working for only 180 peso a day on Mactan island Cebu. One of them must work 7 days a week, no overtime and her day is a 12hours a day. So that average seems like a pipe dream for my gf and her sisters.  But then again it depends what criteria they used in formulating their dodgy 20000 figure.

The link that Dave attached to his OP is from NSO (National Statistics Office) which I have read but still thoroughly 

confused by it's methods and madness.  The street level survey, like the one from Ynot is more realistic.  Some of

you are currently supervising the construction of your home.  You know how much you pay each day for skilled or

unskilled laborers and their foremen.  Would 400 pesos a day for a foreman be reasonable?  And if he is on the

job site for 25 days, his total earnings is 10K pesos for that particular month.  

 

Granted, the sample survey is based on family income, which could mean that both parents are making bank as

overseas worker.  To get to that 20K peso a month average, each parent must report or reveal that they are both

contributing a total of $454 each month (454 x 44 = 20K).  On the other side of the coin, a tricycle driver supporting

his family.....I can't imagine that these two income groups (OFW vs locals), one extreme to the other can arrive at

that NSO average.  

 

Government surveys, documents, annual reports, especially income tax is often times based cooked books or

blatant entries on their income.  The high ranking politicians and military officers are prime examples.  Perhaps

the real monthly average is higher afterall......he, he.  

 

Respectfully -- Jake 

Edited May 11, 2014 by Jake

[Jake]

All this talk of warning bells is futile. Everyone brings it up and I TOTALLY understand. I've been hearing them for seven years of marriage.

But we have two young children who are really happy so what am I supposed to do about it?

 

Gentlemen,

 

The quote above is from Ekimswish post #62.  I detect his frustration and the pains in his heart.  Mike is working his

ass off in the oil fields of Alberta and the last thing he needs now is the well intentioned advices from this forum.  He

apparently heard them all, so we need to soften our comments.  Have you guys seen his gallery -- his home was

totally destroyed during that super typhoon Yolanda last year.  Please give this guy some slack......

 

As to you Mike (Mike swishing) in his favorite sport of basketball -- stand tall young man, you've been through hell

and back.  And be careful in those oil rigs in Alberta, Canada -- protect your middle leg at all times, OK? 

 

Respectfully -- Jake

Edited May 11, 2014 by Jake
spil chek

[Dave Hounddriver]

 Would 400 pesos a day for a foreman be reasonable?

 

That depends on so many factors.  It would be reasonable if I was paying it, but my ex's brother does that job for a big contractor in Manila and makes close to 1,000 pesos a day when he factors in his bonuses and overtime.

[ekimswish]

 

There are immigration related issues we're dealing with (such as getting passports for minors without their mother there)

 

 

Sorry to say this but it seems you are on your own in this, just what sort of wife doesn't want to  bring up kids she already has. ekimswish, I don't think  your Health will hold out too long, the way you are carrying on,

 

You have, according to " I am Bob", a very good, Philippine Embassy, in Canada, contacting them about advice on  the childrens passports should be a route you must take.

 

It may seem callous and hard, but I find this leaving the kids behind, just unacceptable, it makes life for the mother very easy, She is in Canada, and from what you say, living a damn good life but it sounds, as if she is work shy, despite what she tells you. Now we are getting the Full story it becomes obvious you need sit her down and do some serious talking. My Friend, You are as I said, Keeping 2 families going, You can't do that forever. Please, sit yourself down and give yourself a Good talking to.

 

Obtaining passports for the Children is not going to be easy, where the Mother is not Present but Just for your information and not to be blinded by stories, it is the DFA that deal with passports, not immigration. each Embassy has a DFA department so email them and see what happens. Of course your wife must help you on this or will that start more anguish?

 

I do hope that you can get things worked out, but it will take both of you to come to terms with the issues you have, marriage is a partnership and it sounds like it is all one sided,  After 7 years, life should be a walk able street not an Uphill struggle with 2 suitcases

 

 

 

Sorry if I sound Hard and unsympathetic but you must be stronger my friend. For me, I would have had more to say on all Fronts, I believe, you may have been used.

You say she just wants to go back to PI, For Me I would have bought mine the ticket and she would have left, with what she brought, nothing.

 

 If I am out of order I am sorry but the more you open up the more smells come out. That's a shame as it sounds like you really care for them all.

 

 

 

Here to help where we can, we don't always get it right but usually, there is a grain of truth in our own stories that can make sense in others problems.

 

Be Lucky and fingers crossed for those Kids you are missing. :thumbsup:

 

regards JP :tiphat:

 

 

Yeah, getting the kids passports was a big mess-around between us in Canada, the DFA and the DSWD in the Philippines. I wish I could say they were all helpful and gave us good advice, but all of them gave us wasteful and conflicting advice at different points. That's for another topic. Now we're in the clear and all will be applied for this week. I mentioned it as "immigration" related because the Canadian government wants to see copies of their passports before continuing with the wife's permanent resident application. As of Typhoon Yolanda, when we amended the application, they didn't have passports. 

 

That $1200 number is just an average. It might be $800 but I'll slap on a few hundred Philippine related expenses, like a box we might have sent in the mail, or a document that we had to fed-ex. 

 

My wife has a pretty lame life here in Canada and I wouldn't be happy either. We live in a small town with nothing to do and practically no taxi service. This past winter was among the coldest in recorded history, with many days in the sub-40 degree Celsius range. She came on a visitor visa, so wasn't able to apply for work or a driver's license for the first year. All this after having spent two years in the Philippines with her best friends, family, nannies, and stuff to do. I'd wanna go back, too. 

 

Part of me wishes I left them there for one more year as I would've saved more money this year. When they were there, my wife, two daughters and two step-kids, I would send about $1500~2000 a month, and still have lots to pay my debts. Once they came here, our spending in Canada became astronomical, and though I did pay off some debts, not nearly as much as I could have. 

 

Basically, I can't blame her for being depressed: she's a woman. I also can't throw too much blame around for money because our track record in Canada is pretty bad, too. 

 

We used to only send 20,000 pesos to the Philippines when the step-kids were living with a nanny in Marikina, near Manila. They were a lot younger then, and every month seemed like they had no money left. The nanny had been skimming and was only feeding them pancit. As they've gotten older, we've sent more money, but the last two years when we were apart is when it took off. At first we had a pig farm that was very "needy" and from that we never recovered. Even my own kids had constant health problems when they were there. I saw it with my own eyes. Every time I traveled to the Philippines with a budget in mind, I'd spend it in half the time. 

 

I'm bad with money, and now my whole family is bad with money. That being said, we haven't had a normal day to day existence to work with in a very long time. Not with all the moving around, typhoon, health and "immigration" stuff. 

 

That's why I'm toughing it out to the end. I love my daughters and wanna keep the family together. Wouldn't put up with it otherwise. My wife and I talk about it but it's always a fight. We both have bad track records with that, too. Right now I just plan to keep my mouth shut, let it play out, and let life do the talking.

 

Maybe in the end I'll be a miserable divorcee crying over all the money I lost, or a happily married man, glad I toughed through it. I could also be a happy divorcee, teaching English in Vietnam or Thailand. Who knows?

[Jack Peterson]

That's why I'm toughing it out to the end. I love my daughters and wanna keep the family together.

 

 

This to me, says it all,

 

Best of luck, hope it all works out, 

 

" When the going gets tough, the Tough get going "    ( John Paul Jones)

 

Now having the insight a little more and realizing the plight you are going through, raises, my Admiration of you and your endevours. Many of us, would have given up by now.

 

Now we have practically the full picture, I am sure, we are all behind you on this and will wish you well. :thumbsup:

 

 

JP :tiphat: