Street vendors earn more than some government workers

Many street vendors in the Philippines earn more daily than someone working under the government on a ₱500/day job order contract. Vendors selling fishballs, kwek-kwek, or barbecue in high-traffic areas can pull in ₱1,000–₱2,000 a day untaxed and in cash.

Meanwhile, government workers earning ₱500/day get taxed, have deductions, and might only take home ₱11,000/month if they’re lucky. And let’s not even talk about salary delays.

The system punishes those in formal jobs with paperwork, red tape, and low wages… while the informal economy, for all its risks, gives people real income fast.

Of course, vendors don’t have job security, benefits, or protection and they face harassment and confiscation too. But it makes you wonder why are formal jobs, especially government ones, so undervalued?

This isn't to say vendors "have it easy." They grind hard. But if we’re being honest, they often earn more than the people with ID cards and contracts and wear formal attires.

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