Yeah, so they passed Republic Act 9504. So??

I just got my most recent payslip. I rendered nearly 50 hours overtime, but it didn't add a lot to my take-home pay. Why? Because the overtime pay, which amounted to almost half my two-weeks salary, all went to withholding tax. For 48 long fatiguing hours, including the loss of my Sunday and holiday relaxation, over my normal workload, all I got was Php437.30. Goddamned one-third of my total gross pay went to income tax, and what do I receive for it? Not a goddamned thing. It didn't even amount to Php10 an hour. Less than 25 cents U.S. And because I am already considered above the minimum wage threshold, I'm not included in the exemption on overtime and holiday pay under 9504. The minimum wage workers are going to take home more pay than I do come time. I think they call it wage distortion. Oh, yeah. I forgot. There are more of them than there are of us, so more votes coming from that sector.

Meanwhile, if I get sick, I'd need to pay for my own medicine. Yeah, I can get a refund from Philhealth, after the time it would take me to get sick half a dozen more times, if I'm not mistaken. Thank God the company has its own medical insurance coverage aside from Philhealth. Meanwhile, those fat people who call the shots and party and make deals and gamble with the lives of all the people in the country just play golf. I can almost hear a voice saying "Let them eat cake!"

That makes the reasons for the diaspora and the call center boom clearer to me. If I didn't love my job...

I am seriously considering not doing overtime anymore, except that my job needs it. Also, if I didn't earn enough overtime pay to cover my income tax, I'd only be taking home two-thirds of my salary.

I am seriously considering tax evasion. Either that, or it would be a good idea to head for the mountains.