Thursday, December 15, 2005
HIGH SCHOOL ALLOWANCE
This is exactly how much I used to get a day in allowance — one peso.
My jeepney fare to and from school was twenty cents, and that would leave me with eighty-five centavos for lunch. I would sometimes get one siopao and a bottle of Coke for seventy-five, and I would have five centavos left for the jukebox. Marcos was on his first term as president then.
During my third and senior years, I tried lobbying for a raise, but my father would give me this long spiel about how he used to walk to and from his college campus. He also waved off my argument that his walk from where he was living in Ongpin to FEU (Far Eastern University) was idyllic compared to my walking it from our house near Espiritu Santo Church in Tayuman to MIT (Mapua Institute of Technology) in Doroteo Jose Street near Recto.
My failure to receive an increase in allowance wasn't such a pitiful experience after all; it honed my skills in negotiating for a raise and extra fringe benefits from my jobs later on in life.
Anyway, at a sari-sari store in Manila the other day, the only thing I can buy with one peso is one piece of candy (Menthos, X. O., Kopiko, or a piece of Stik-O). Most other candies are now three pieces for two pesos.
I wonder how much allowance others used to receive while in high school.
Labels: Growing up memoirs
posted by Señor Enrique at 6:15 AM
4 Comments:
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niceheart said... When I was in 4th year high school, jeepney fare was 65 centavos. That was back in 1981-1982. I would go home at noon to have lunch. Can't really remember how much allowance I received.
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Abaniko said...
Five pesos, just enough for my fare. If I wanted to buy my merienda at school, I needed to walk to and from our school.
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said... I can't remember na how much I got for an allowance when I was in HS. I remember medyo mataas because hindi ako binabaunan ng Mom ko at that time (1982-1986).
Grabe, one candy in RP now costs PHP1.00?! Shocking!-
silentmode_v2 said...
i got 20 pesos as an allowance during my high-school days. you can buy coke solo, 2 pieces of hopia for 5 bucks...
...unfortunately now, you have to add 2.50 just to get a ride... :(
