Income Reveal

I could not wait another week for this post. So this is the second post this week.

Do you want to know how much we make? A quick Google Search could show you a rough estimate.

Impressive right? But how I wish that could be true in the Philippines as well. In reality, we likely get paid for up to only 20% of those amounts, and that's if you really, really outperform the rest. I've known about this for quite some time and I know a lot who have noticed the same thing.

And it's not only our company -- it's the entire industry. I have some IT professional friends who are complaining about the exact same thing. We are getting paid for much less than our international counterparts.

Sure, the standard of living is cheaper here. But nowadays, what we make is barely enough to catch up with rising inflation. Did you know that Manila is the second most expensive city to live in across Asia (second to Singapore)? Now who is to blame?

It's easy to pin the blame on the company that underpays its employees. But the blame is just as much when it comes to the people biting the cheap deals employers offer. I mean, why would companies increase salaries, if someone is willing to bite at a cheaper price?

There needs to be a mass collusion. Everyone has to agree to a minimum salary, and an increase at that. Seems impossible. But perhaps, to make things easier, a group of IT geniuses can come up with a website, where minimum salaries per role are government-regulated. Accounts can even be verified to prevent false information.

Currently, we only have a set minimum wage for all citizens. This needs to be made more specific. How about having a table outlining minimums for each industry, and each role. This would definitely help the government get some money back to our economy.

Will that deter companies outsourcing in the Philippines? Sure. If that happens, companies may switch over to India for cheaper deals. But more people are switching to iPhones. With the right strategy, the BPO industry in the Philippines, can increase prices, while also gaining market penetration.

To end, I propose a challenge to the IT people here in the Philippines. Make a website like glassdoor, but for the Philippines, and raise its awareness, so much that the government becomes aware of it, and regulates salary amounts. I also propose that before accepting a role, we research and compare international salaries of professionals with those offered to us, and do not accept below-average amounts (as would be seen in the website).

Our economy, and our standards of living have to improve. It's up to us, so let's please do our part.