Minimum wage earners say money not enough for holiday spending

Minimum wage earners are being forced to tighten their belts amid the holiday season, with some of them already allotting their Christmas bonuses for their daily needs and debt repayments.

Raymart Castillo, who works as a security guard, said that while he used to look forward to the Christmas season, it has started to lose its charm due to the high prices of goods.

“Hindi pa nga dumarating, naisip mo na ‘yung mga bayarin… ‘Yung mga pinangakuan mong babayaran mo ng utang, ‘yung bonus mo dun na mapupunta imbis na sa pamilya na,” he said in Oscar Oida's report on GMA’s “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

“Sa daming iniisip na bayarin parang wala na, parang wala nang saya,” he added.

(It hasn’t even arrived yet and you already think of the obligations… The debts you promised to pay, your bonus goes to that instead of your family.

When I think of all the obligations, it feels like there's nothing to celebrate, there’s nothing to be happy about.)

Castillo is one of the workers paid a minimum wage, with the highest being in Metro Manila at P570 daily, and the lowest in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at P305.

Government data released last week showed that consumer prices grew by 8.0% in November, the highest in 14 years since November 2009’s 9.1%, after October’s 7.7%.

For the bottom 30% of households, inflation came in at 7.7%, up from 7.3% the previous month and 4.2% in November 2021.

Castillo’s sentiments were echoed by Emil San Antonio, a mechanic who said that the current minimum wage may not even be enough for basic needs.

“Kasi sobrang mahal ng mga bilihin, tumaas, lalo sa kuryente, tubig, tapos ‘yung ibang pangangailangan po sa bahay ganon, bigas, eh nagkukulang na rin ‘yung minimum wage,” he said in the same report.

(Because of the high prices of goods, they increased, especially electricity, water, and other household needs, rice, the minimum wage is not enough.)

“Gusto ko sana maging masaya sila, Pasko pa, bagong taon, gusto ko maging masaya lahat, kaso nga eh short talaga,” he said.

“Kung ano ‘yung meron, ‘yun na lang ‘yung pagsalusaluhan. Wala eh, ‘yun lang ang kaya,” he added.

(I want them to be happy during Christmas, and the New Year, I want everyone to be happy but we are short [on funds]. What we have, we share, that’s what we can.)

Both Castillo and San Antonio noted, however, that they remain thankful to be able to spend the holidays with their family safe and healthy.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry, P500 may be enough for a family of five for a Christmas Eve dinner. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News