Since Free Traders believe that America should lower its standard of living to help the third world

[Douglas Carpenter]

104. I would suggest taking a trip off the beaten path a little bit and away from the tourist belt

For one thing in the Philippines I believe the minimum wage is currently 180 pesos or $4.18 per day - although it may have gone up to as much as $5.00 per day recently. However most manufacturers will domestically outsource to small time operators who will hire workers at about half that. So most of the jobs being created are paying no more than $5.00 to $6.00 per day - many are paying much less. At the same time - domestic necessities have skyrocketed in price. A kilo of rice will cost roughly a day’s wage if one is lucky enough to be working for an operation that actually observes the official minimum wage. The cost of a single-room cramped third world level apartment will run about 5000 pesos per month - which would be about 23 days wages for an average worker – again an average worker who is fortunate enough to be working in a job that actually pays the official minimum wage. I should also mention that in addition to domestic outsourcing to sub-minimum wage operations - most - in fact almost all regular jobs working for international service or manufacturing operations - are hired on a six month contract. That way the employer can avoid paying more in benefits. When that six month period is up - in the vast majority of cases - they will be out of work again - usually for quite some time. The really good paying jobs working for international enterprises - like the ones that pay a staggering fortune of 10,000 to 15,000 pesos per month ($233 to $349) will be few and far between a limited to only the most fortunate university graduates. 70% of Filipinos never finish more that one or two years of high school - much less go on to university. But for the fortunate few who do finish university and do find such employment - that income would barely be enough to rent a small but reasonably modern (by local standards) apartment. For the vast majority such things are way beyond their reach.

Yes there is a percentage doing better - no doubt about it. But at the cost of a far more stressed society for the overwhelming majority. Ask almost any ordinary Filipino - they will tell you the same thing.