07/09/2025
MIDDLE CLASS MATTERS
Iโve come across multiple discussions about the middle class here in the Philippines. Simply put, the middle class are the people who keep the country running: office workers, teachers, nurses, engineers, small business owners. Families who earn somewhere between โฑ25,000 to โฑ145,000 a month fall into this group.
They are the ones who pay the most taxes, keep shopping malls alive, buy homes, send kids to school, and keep the economy moving. In fact, almost 40% of Filipinos belong to the middle class.
But hereโs the problem: many middle-class families are living on a tightrope. They may own a small house, have a car, and send their kids to school, but that doesnโt make them truly secure.
๐ฉบ A sudden hospital bill of โฑ50,000 or more can wipe out months of savings.
๐ Losing a job or a side income for even a few months can mean skipping meals, cutting back on education, or falling behind on bills.
๐ฐ Inflation hits them hard; rice, fuel, electricity, school fees, everything costs more, but their wages donโt always rise at the same pace.
๐จ Even emergencies like typhoons or accidents can drain what little buffer they have.
In short, the middle class may seem comfortable, but their financial security is fragile. Many are just one shock away from sliding back into poverty, and if that happens on a large scale, itโs not just families who suffer, itโs the entire economy that takes the hit.
Other countries understand this. Nordic nations like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark provide universal healthcare, subsidized education, and generous social safety nets. They recognize that when the middle class is secure, the entire economy grows stronger and more stable.
The Philippines should adopt the same mindset: protecting the middle class is about national survival. Without a strong middle class, no economic plan can truly succeed.
