Philippines per capita income: $1,463

I just read in the Philippine Daily Inquirer today that the Philippines per capita income is now $1,463, which is the highest it has been in the post-war era. (Of course, among all those other years, if you adjust for inflation, I'm sure you'll find quite a few which are above today's level.)

Just think about that for a second. The highest level in the post-war (WWII) era is $1,463???

Makes me realize just why so many Filipinos leave their country to seek work abroad. There is just no way, no way at all, that over 90% of Filipinos can hope to have a comfortable life with that kind of income. All the best universities in the Philippines (with the exception of the University of the Philippines) cost a lot of money to enter (I know of some whose tuition PER SEMESTER exceeds the income an average Filipino gets for a YEAR). Without "elite-level" education, how can Filipinos find jobs, especially in this competitive world? Without good jobs, how can they hope to feed their families and educate THEIR children in the future? The vicious downward spiral keeps going on and on... with no end in sight. I mean, if an average Filipino tried to pay rent on a decent (read: clean and reasonably safe) apartment, then he would have to pay more than the average per capita income just to have a place to stay... forget food, clothing, utilities and, God forbid, public transportation. He'd have to walk to the nearest banana tree to get a meal. (Which fact assumes that: a) there is a banana tree within 100 kilometers of his home that hasn't already been ravaged by hungry Filipinos and b) he is legally entitled to take the bananas, given that the rich (and decidedly few) landowners in the Philippines would probably shoot him for even trying...)

Damn. How the heck can a Filipino ever hope to see a brighter day with these numbers?

I am really fortunate to have been blessed with the skills and the opportunities to earn a much higher income, but I still can't help feeling sad that there's no way I could ever raise a family in the Philippines in the way I would like with the salaries they pay their workers, not unless I was a CEO or business owner. And the latter alternatives would take too long anyway. If I want to be able to raise a family soon (and who wouldn't be thinking this at my age?), I have no other option but to stay outside the shores from which my blood came.

It's enough to make a man really sad.