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Philippe: Magkana ngayon ang minimum rate?
Gab: Ngayon, the minimum rate is 645 pesos.
Philippe: I’m assuming this is, uh… Metro Manila, right?
Gab: Yes, it’s Metro Manila.
Philippe: So, minimum wage in 2025 is? NCR. 645 in NCR. In NCR. Yeah, NCR. So, what about provincial rate? What is it currently?
Gab: Currently, provincial rate? Nasa 500 plus pa ata eh, provincial rate. For non -agricultural workers. Generally lower for provincial rate. So, it’s 336. Yes. Pesos as of February, 2024.
Philippe: Okay. So, uh, I have a consultant here. Mr. Chat GPT. Yo. He could find us stuff faster than us researching on Google, right? Okay. So, These were… dates since 2024. I can say we just started in 2025. So nothing new has happened yet. So last year, our minimum wage for NCR was 645. Um, in CAR, or Cordillera Administrative Region, 417. As of December 24, 2024. So this was still, uh, from last year. Um, Ilocos region starts from 435 to 468. Thank you for watching! As of last year, so depends on the region, but provincial rates are basically lower than NCR. Some are, it’s from the range of 435, actually Bicol, sad to say, 395, uh, minimum wage.
There’s, wow, there’s lower, there is in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, uh, BARM, B -A -R -M -M, 316 to 361. So this is the lowest, um, of all. So, so the real question here is, why is it, why is that we get 645 in NCR compared to 316? In Bank Samoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao. Why is that? Is it because we have all the industrial sectors here and is it because it’s a business sector?
Is that it?
Gab: It can be the reason, yeah.
Philippe: Maybe that’s a good reason for the rate. No wonder, no wonder ang daming gusto lumipad papuntang NCR, right? Yeah. So I wonder, I mean, what about the economy down in Bangsamoro? Right? 316 and 361.
Gab: It’s almost half?
Philippe: Or grabe? It’s less than half. Less than half? It’s less than half if you think about it. Right? I have never been there. In Mindanao yet. Right? I’ve been in other places but I’ve never been there. And if you look at some of the progressive cities like, uh, if you go to any place, any city that’s like, for example, Metro Cebu. Right? I think, I’m not quite sure. Let’s see. What is the minimum wage in Metro Cebu?
The network was lost. Sorry, my consultant is a little slow today. Nag -iisa pa, loading pa. As of October 2024, in Cebu City, right? So non -agriculture is 501 per day. Oh, it’s the same for agriculture as well, 501 per day. Yeah. So mababa din pala sa Metro Cebu, right? In the Visayas. But if you look at it, Metro Cebu is progressive.
It’s basically Metro Manila, right? Less a few cities, but, uh, strange. I think we need, we need a consultant here. Like, why is there a big difference? As of now, maybe I don’t want to talk about that. Maybe. Pag -usapan natin is yung minimum wage in NCR 645, is that enough right now in terms of expenditures for someone with a family?
Uh, is it enough? I mean everything goes up. Ngayon may rollback daw ang gasolena, few cents, few cents lang. Pero ngayon mga gasolene… Ang sa magkano ngayon ang gasolina natin? Sa pinakamura 51. Ang gas. 51. No, tumaas. Tumaas, hindi 51. Ano pa yun, uh, nagtaan. Pinakamura ngayon, ah, pinakamura nakita ko. Hindi siya sa branded na gasoline station.
53 .5. Grabe. Now if you go to Shell, it’s 67 per liter unloaded. If you go to like Uni Oil, it’s about, I think, 58. Nasaan 58? Uno? Uno Gas, which is one of the more affordable ones. Nasaan 57? 57. Ayun. Yan na, dadaan ako siya every day. So nakikita ko siya eh. So how can someone with, let’s say, 645 per day. So that’s about, sabihin natin minus everything.
Government benefits and all that, nasa 14, take home nila 14 per month. Right? Paano nilang pagkakasya yung 30 days na meals nila, 30 days na transport nila, 30 days other expenses, medical emergencies and all that? Paano natin pagkakasyaan ang 645 per day?
Gab: It’s, it’s, it’s not enough. Hindi talaga magkakasya.
Philippe: Sige, let’s break it down. Let’s break it down. 645 per day. Okay. Papasok ka? Commute ka? Magkano commute ka yun? Let’s say mag -jeep ka papuntang ano? Twelve? Sixteen? Twelve to sixteen. O sabihin natin, o balikan, thirty to forty pesos back and forth. Let’s say, assuming nasa, within your own city, right? O sige, back and forth, forty pesos.
Okay? So that’s six oh five na lang. Okay. Kakain ka. Right? Magkaning, ano, gagasaw mo sa kakain. One ten or one hundred sabihin natin. Fifty pesos per meal. So kakain ka ng breakfast sa labas, fifty pesos. Kakain ka ng lunch at pag -uwi mo dinner. So that’s a hundred fifty. So bakano na yun? That’s four hundred fifty -five.
Oh, four hundred fifty -five na. So pag -uwi mo, alright? May mga ibang gastos sa bahay. Tubig, kuryente, uh, food for the family. O sabihin natin pagkain for the family, bibili ka ng worth 150 -200. O for 55, uh, 255 na lang. Tubig kuryente siya sa araw. O pang load pa, hindi pa yung load mo. Hindi pa tapos sila. Shit, ano yung natira?
Right? May nag -propose. I’m not sure if this was a party list or something, pero recently, nakita ko sa ano. Nag -propose sila for increase of minimum wage, 200. I’m not sure who. Let’s look it up.
Dagdag 200 sa minimum wage. So if this was something na mapapasaw, it would be 845 a day? Sorta, yeah, yeah, yeah. So there’s, how many days in a month na working days? 26. Kasama ang Saturdays. Kasama ang Saturdays. More or less, more or less, yeah. So that’s, yeah, 22 ,000 most. Nakita ko na. Nakita ko na. So… Wow.
Actually, this was last January 29, 2025. So the House is trying to push for 200 daily minimum wage hike bill. So, dagdag 200. And, um, they said they want to push this. Actually, Speaker Martin Romaldes, he wants, uh, said the House of Representatives will push for the passage of bill granting 200. I’m not sure kung ano ito, ah, um, if they’ve…
I don’t know what the update is here, but… Do you think additional 200 pesos is okay? Actually, additional 100 pesos sa mga private sector workers. So, uh, 100 and 200. Ah, no, sorry, sorry. Na -approve na yung 100 daily minimum wage hike for private sector workers. So, ang tinatry nila ngayon is, you wanna see if someone would support 150 and then the 200.
So, um, anong, anong pweding? Ano? Uh, is it good? Is it good? 645, 845? Okay ba? Sa 200? You think that would, sapat na siya?
Gab: Hindi eh. Actually isang malaking mismatch din sa part na income and yung needs ng isang tao for, for, for the workers talaga. It’s not, it’s not enough.
Philippe: Definitely not enough. So ideally, sa tingin mo, we’re not experts here, right?
We’re not economists and everything. Pero from our day -to -day, we’ve got people around us who are minimum -wagers. I’ve got people around. Yung staff namin, they’re minimum -wagers. And ito, tinatanong ko sila, okay ba? Sapat ba yung 645? Diba? Sabi niya, sa totoo lang sir, hindi. So paano kayo nag -survive? Diba?
Well, yung ibang utang, yung iba talagang kung anong nagsasideline, raket talaga, right? Tapos daw yung iba, ano, nagkagaling sa bonus na binibigay ko. Yan pala yan. Yung ginagdagdagan ko naman kasi sa mga ibang staff talaga I make sure na they’re treated well, even if most are minimum. But siyempre yung mga performing, mga dagdag bonus yan.
Right? From time to time. So nakakatulong din yun. But basically, all I hear from them is talagang hindi sapat. Hindi sapat. Now, I’m gonna, eventually I’m gonna ask them, pag nadagdagan ng 200, okay na? Diba? I wonder if their answer is going to be, hindi pa rin. Hindi pa din sapat. So I don’t know what ideal, sa team, what is the ideal salary for me? Dapat.
Gab: Having an ideal salary for a worker, for an individual dito sa Pilipinas, it would depend dun sa lifestyle na meron sila. Minigay nila or actually imposed on that person eh. Kasi you can never say na, okay, is 845 times this enough for a person who’s this? So if magasos talaga or marami tinutustusan yung that kind of individual yung tao na yun. Of course, direto siya, hindi enough yun, dun sa kanya. Pero let’s say, single, tapos ano, wala kang ginagasasan sa buhay mo, tas may natatanggap kang gano ah, ibang usapan yun. So, ibang usapan, it really depends on the situation.
Philippe: I have friends who are, uh, owners of, uh, a certain manpower agency. So… Nakakatawa kasi, I hear stories from their management team na minimum wages nga minsan yung mga single wala pa silang family.
Actually, on the contrary, yung ibang may family na ginagawa nila weekly. Weekly ha, pag sahod, sorry, sorry, not every sahod, dumalabas sila. And nag -eat all you can sila. So gumagasa sila ng mga 500 per person. Dun sa, kasi nakasahod na, so gumagaso sila, nag -blowout sila. And this is only blowout within their colleagues, hindi yan blowout sa family.
Gab: Hiwalay pa.
Philippe: Hiwalay pa. So ginaso sila yung isang araw nila dun sa blowout kasi nakasahod sila. So, technically, nakasahod lang sila ng mga 12 days on that cutoff. Diba 26 days kasi? So 12 days lang yung, yung, yung naipon nila. So ang nagasas nila for each cut, cut of 500. So 2 cut of 1 ,000. Nagasas nila 1 ,000. I’m glad. Okay. So, walang natira. Sometimes pag -uwi nila, walang natira. Nagasas nila. Oh, ba’t kulang? Yan nag -blowout kami. So depende rin sa lifestyle siguro. And sa situation ng employee. Pero generally, overall. In NCR, Ano satingin mo ideal minimum wage?
Ano sa mo yung ideal minimum wage? Para maging masaya ang mga tao? Kasi ngayon 645, so, Pag dinoble natin, pag ginawa natin 1.5k a day, sa mo maging masaya ang mga tao? Dapat maging per hour. Per hour? Um,
Gab: something na pareha sa ibang bansa.
Philippe: Will that work dito sa Pinas per hour? Sa US, yes, it works. Kasi matagal nang it works. So, kung per hour dito, alam mo ba, pag per hour dito, maraming company magsasara. Maraming company. Actually, ang discussion ngayon, pag tinasan ng 200, maraming magsasara. Ang daming mamamala ng trabaho. Did you know that? Yan ang argument, yan yung debate ngayon. Okay, taasin nila ngayon. Na -approve yan ng Congress.
And then what? Ano mo yung sino magsasara? Yung mga manufacturing, production, sila magsasara. Bakit? Wala nga yung, wala, wala nga yung pagpasahod. Magsasara nalang kami. Kasi maluwi kami. Hindi naisip ng mga tao niya. Tapos yung ibang companies, hindi sila magsasara. Magbabawas sila. Ay, hindi namin kaya. Hindi namin kaya.
Kalahati, bawas. Ano mayayari? Employment rate, pffft, through the roof. Yod, yod. So I’m not an economist or anything like that but, uh, I think kailangan talagang pag -aralan to. Right? I’m not against 200. Maybe I’m against 1 ,500 muna but I’m not 100. No, I don’t think so. O sabihin natin 1 ,000. I think 1 ,000 is the sweet spot.
Like I said, I’m not, I’m no economist. I’m not, I’m bad in math. Pero sa mga, syempre, sa grocery ngayon, mahal na mabili. Lumataas yung. yung cost ng, actually cost of living in Manila. Gas is through the roof. Everything is shifting already. So I think we have to, there should be some sort of subsidy, di ba? And one subsidy that comes from the government is, sino yung binibigay ni DSWD?
For peace. Yan yung subsidy na binibigay ng government sa mga unemployed. Tama ba? Unemployed? Depends, sir. Naman naman, single parent. Ayun, single parent. Which is good. It’s good. Nakakatulong. Ang kaso lang, hindi ko sure ah, based on what I hear from my network, my circle of friends and everything, is, andaming natatanggap from DSWD.
Pero ginagaso sa walang kwentong bagay. Problema. I don’t mind. Pagpupunta sa single mom. O halimbawa, uh, sorry, hindi lang single mom, single parent. Wala akong problema doon. Panggamot ng nanay, ng lola, o ng… That’s fine. Pero I’ve heard a lot na daming kumukuha sa 4Ps na nakakuha na…
Gab: The money just doesn’t go to the right places.
Philippe: Exactly. I want to propose a solution d I know we’re still in the wage hike thing. Pero yung mga, for you know, DSWD, yung four -piece, dapat voucher na lang, o voucher sa grocery. Bili ka ng, anong, worth, worth one thousand na pesos na grocery. O dapat ganun, diba? Assigned siya dun mismo. Exactly. Na pagpupunan ng grocery.
Bawal bumili ng alak. Bawal bumili ka ng, Candy or whatever. Essentials lang. Right? Essentials. I think that’s another topic but balik tayo sa wage hike. Uh, we have to be prepared, lalo yung mga nag -demand na kailanang wage hike, they have to be prepared na either magsara yung company o mabuwasan sila or maletgo sila kasi hindi kakayanan ng company.
And sabihin natin walang nagsara. Ano mangyari? Do you know what? Pagdamas yung…
Gab: Wild guess. I think tataas ang presyo ng mga bagay -bagay. And then we’re back in square one. Bumalik tayo. Umikot lang tayo. Nag -repeat yung reaction ng one is to one alit.
Philippe: Anong mangyayari ngayon? Ah, tasan na naman natin. Okay, good.
Gab: Hanggang sa we’re earning millions but then we’re spending four millions.
Philippe: Look, I agree. I’m not trying to be biased here. I agree na kailangan taas ang minimum wage but we have to do something about how we could subsidize certain aspects of the wages so that everyone, everyone can fit that minimum wage for their monthly expenses.
So big, big discussion ngayon yung bigas. Yes, po. Diba? Ngayon, NFA, naglalabas na sila. Bawat, ano, barangay. Sige. Ban -aid solution lang yan. So ano yung, like, I don’t want to just talk about things that are happening right now. Can we, we want people’s suggestions. We want their ideas. Baka meron tayong mga experts out there you could call.
Call now, right? Radio station. No, you can come visit us in our podcast. Right? And if you’re an economist, if you think you had the skills and talent, you explain this and maybe we could help, um, our government come up with a good solution, they will come over to our podcast. Let’s just talk about it. But right now, since hindi natin, wala pa tayong expert, give us solutions in the comment section.
Give us solutions. Tell us what you think. And we’ll tell, I’ll tell you what, why don’t we go with you first? Do you have any? Suggest your recommendations. So think more out of the box. Think out of the box. What can a solution of this be?
Gab: For minimum wages?
Philippe: Minimum wages. Sabi natin we could increase it but how can we increase minimum wage without increasing um, products and services all across the world when we get this wage hike?
Gab: As someone who’s not an economist, I can’t speak for something that if we increase this, how could we spend on this? So maybe an alternative or an option that’s something connected to what we’ve been talking about is there’s a lot of Filipinos who migrate or switch, or can do this. I’m sure many people do this now, but they migrate or they switch. From their minimum wage paying jobs to freelancing.
Philippe: Mmm, good idea. Actually, that’s a very good thought. But not everyone can freelance. Because number one, ang investment d is skills. Pag wala kang skills, you can’t go freelance. So isang, isang mananahit, okay? Let’s say, taga -tanay. Isang, si nanay mananahit, right?
Oh, hirap siya. Paano ako mag -freelancer? Hindi niya kaya. Kailangan niyo bumili ng mga gamit. Investment kasi yan eh. Another option, kasi ang naisip ng iba dati, mag -abroad na lang ako. FW. FW na lang ako. O, katulong lang ako dun. Malaki na yung sahod ko. Hindi 14. Yung iwi ko, 50k. O, diba? 50k per month. Punta akong Hong Kong, Singapore, Qatar, Dubai.
It’s 50. Actually, nag -arrange siya from 30 ,000 pataas. Ano yan? DH, Domestic Helper. Yun lang, ang daming cases like in Qatar, may nabatay, may nakulong, may daming nangyari. There’s a big risk to it, right? Tapos yung isa pang risk diyan is pag nang -apply ka, let’s say as DH or OW, daming requirements. Ang laki ng babayaran mo.
Okay, far -fetched yun. Ako, right now, kung talagang no choice tayo, na 645, you have to survive that. Cut lifestyle, bad lifestyle choices, right?
Gab: Yeah, that’s true.
Philippe: O, tama na yung eat all you can, tama na yung inom, tama na yung, yung pupunta ka ng gagala ka sa mall, pag -sale, pipili ka ng mga ano -ano. Tama na yan.
Konting sacrifice, isang taon lang sacrifice. Diba? Tapos pagdating ng bermonts, Kayong manigwang ala dun sa ano, baka sales hill or kailangan nyo ibigay yung mga inarak nyo ng ganito, ng regalo and all that. Limit nyo. Hindi naman kailangan magharbo yung ibigay mo sa kanila. Actually, greeting sa okay na, masaya sila.
Diba? Bigyan mo silang bariya. Hindi naman kailangang 100, bigyan bariya. Wala e. Diba? Anong gagawin natin? I have to survive. Kung wala, kung hindi kong ginawa to. Wala. But yun, number one, lifestyle. Right? Lifestyle. Ah, kung hindi mo afford, wala ka mga muntang para ma -afford mo. Kaya iba, kasi, ano ngayon, ano yung mga, ano yung makita mo bagong lumabas na gadget?
iPhone, DJI. Oh, DJI, mga, mga. Marami kasi gusto maging vloggers ngayon. Airline. Bili iPhone, bili ano, tapos sino yung ano, sino yung… Pagpapunta ka sa pwesto, mayroon yung, parang pwedeng installment. Home credit. Ah, hoya, home credit. Home credit. Huwag kayo man. I’m not, hindi ko inaano yung home credit. Home credit is great for the working population.
But it’s not so great kung bibili ka ng isang bagay na hindi mo naman makaka, hindi mo naman siya magagamit to earn you enough money. Yeah. Diba? Pag hindi mo pa makakaro eh. Kung bibili mo siya lang pang parang pasikat lang. Huwag na, right?
Gab: Sabi nga nalang, uh, live below your means.
Philippe: Lalo na if. And don’t buy nonsense stuff that doesn’t make sense to you and your family. Kahit single ka, kahit single ka, mas maganda mag -ipon ka. One place na pwede ka mag -ipon. Instead na gagagasas ka ng 500 pesos para sa eat -all -you -can sa katasahod, Ipasok mo siya sa, uh, Pag -ibig mp2 savings. Are you aware of that?
Gab: I’m not yet aware. What’s pag -ibig mp2 savings?
Philippe: Okay, so it’s not the regular pag -ibig na savings na nakakaltas dun sa ano. It’s an account, you could voluntarily open it. Okay. And then, year by year, you get, um, tax -free, um, high yield percentage. So from, from what I believe last year, 7 percent ang binigay. Okay. So, yung pera mo, kikita siya ng 7%. Every… Every year. Ah, okay. So that’s, that’s higher than banks who give 0 .0025. That’s way higher than banks.
Okay, way higher and it’s risk -free because, risk -free and tax -free. Kasi gubyaran niyan. And it’s not going to be taxable. So, they’re going to give you like 6, 7, 8 percent. Thank you. 6 .5 to 8 percent. I think it goes up and up depending on the year, the performance. And then, parang sa savings, high yield savings.
And then, year by year, naku -compound. So, ibig sabihin, kung pinasok mo yung, for example ah, Um, 500 pesos. Maliit lang to, pero instead of, ito wala kang gagawin. Ipapasok mo lang, open ka ng account. Free naman, wala kang babayaran. Times 1 .0, sabihin natin, uh, 7. After 1 year, meron kang 535. May 35 pesos ka. Bako compound yan.
So the next year, kukuha ka ng 535 plus another 7 percent. So times 1 .07 again. Yung 535 mo magiging, um… 572. And then it will compound. Wala kang gamitin. Pasok ka lang ng paso ng pera. Pasok ka lang ng paso. Kukompound siya. After 5 years, pwede mo siya i -withdraw. Actually, pwede mo siya i -withdraw yearly.
Pero after 5 years, ideally, pwede mo siya i -withdraw. Ngayon, itong 500 pesos mo. Kung 50 ,000 yan. Diba? Yung kinita mo na after 5 years. Okay, times 1. 1 .05
Ang 500 pesos mo magiging 662. So, kung 50 ,000 yan, or sabihin na 5 ,000, ang 5 ,000 magiging 6,662 .6 whatever. Kikita ka. Mabagal nga, maliit lang. Pero kaya sana, pag kumain ka sa labas, pag bumili ka ng alak, Wala na yun, hindi na siya babalik. Ito babalik siya. Keep saving. Kung naging ugali niyo mag -save, save, save, save.
Right? And then ilagay niyo sa MP2. That would be even better kasi may babalik sa iyo. Right? So that’s, that’s, medyo napahaba yung, uh, yung kwento pero that’s one way I would say. So remove lifestyle. Do good investments. I actually learned this from, you know who? Chinky Tan. Ah, Chinky Tan, yeah. Invite ba natin Chinky Tan?
Chinky Tan. Baka naman. Isang episode lang. Now, we’ll get in touch with, uh, Chinky Tan. Alright, we’ll invite him to the podcast and we’ll see. Maybe he could give some good financial advice, which he does in his channel. I 100 percent promote his channel. Uh, bye. I mean, I watch his channel and he makes a lot of sense, you know, and a lot of minimum -wagers can take his advice.
Yun nga, third advice na galing sa akin, take action, right? So, stop the eating out, drinking out. Second, start investing. Third, maybe stop, para sa akin kasi ang Filipino, masyadong tayong ano eh, uh, it’s an English word, hoarders tayo eh. Diba? Hoarders tayo. We don’t know it yet, but we’re hoarders. Punta ka sa bahay nila.
Ang daming gamit na hindi mo kailangan.
Buksan mo yung bag. Ang daming gamit na hindi kailangan. Ano sabihin mo, wager ha? Kasaya ang dami. May mga, umibili sila. Hindi naman kailangan. Be practical, right? Be practical with your things and all. Yung mga bagay na hindi mo naginagamit, either gamitin mo o benta mo. Gawin mo pera. My fourth advice is, hanapin yung raket.
Gab: That’s true.
Philippe: Stop bitching and bitching and bitching and complaining. Ay, kulang sahul, kulang sahul. Ubusin mo sahul. Stop complaining.
Gab: Hindi pwedeng reklaman o reklaman.
Philippe: Diba? Yung iba, pagod na ako. Hindi ako makapagpart -time. Pagod na ako. Ano pagod ka? Diba? Bata mo ba? Kaya mo ba magpart -time sa rabas? Pag -arated, magnegosyo ka.
Madami dyan. There’s so many out there. They only lack the… Wala silang initiative today, right? Ah, wala akong pang -negosyo? Ibo! Did you know? Ano ba yung pinaka kailangan mo para mag -start negosyo? Ano ba kailangan mo?
Gab: Capital. First. First step, capital.
Philippe: That is the, that is the mindset. Anywhere, right? They say capital.
I’ll tell you what, I’ll tell you what you need. You don’t need capital. You know what you need? You need a customer. Pag may kapital ka, may negosyo ka. Pag wala kang customer, may negosyo ka, wala. Actually. Right? Kung wala kang kapital, wala kang negosyo, wala kang produkto, pero may nagsabi sa Uy Gab, gusto kong bumili ng motor.
Uy, customer. Right? Aliga, aliga, may alam akong pwesto.
Bago, bago mo dalhin yung tawag doon sa pwesto, kausapin mo na yung may aray ng pwesto, yung beta ng to. May commission ba? May commission ba pag nakabenta ko ng ano, nakahanap ko ng customer? Pag sinabi mo, yes po, may 5 percent commission. Okay. Kuya. Meron dito. O, bukod niyo ang motor, 100 ,000. Paano commission mo?
May 5K ka. Alright? O, hindi ka naglaban sa pera. So kailangan mong customer. Number one yan eh. This applies to all sorts of it. Pag nag -freelance ka, hindi ka magpwede mag -freelance pag wala kang client. Right? Wala kang customer, wala. Diba? That’s it. It’s as simple as that.
