The economic status of Muslim migrants in Baguio City

Abstract

This study is concerned with the economic status of the Muslim migrants in Baguio City. It sought to study the productivity of the economic activities of the Muslim migrants, the dependence of the migrants to the sources of their capital, the adequacy of the sources of their capital and the effectiveness of the strategies the respondents used in addressing the problems they encountered caused by the presence of the increasing number of big business establishments in Baguio City. This present study was limited only to the Muslim migrants who are engaged in their economic activities in the City of Baguio for five to ten years. The respondents of this present study were taken purposively. The data were gathered primarily through questionnaires administered to the respondents supplemented by the writer's personal interaction with the respondents and officers of the Office of Muslim Affairs. The data gathered were tabulated and treated through the use of statistical tools such as frequency counts, weighted mean and percent-title. From the analyses and interpretation of the data concerning the Muslim migrants' economic activities, daily gross income and daily savings, properties acquired, problems encountered and the strategies to remedy such problems, the followings findings were obtained; 1. The economic activities of Muslim migrants are a) Sidewalk vending, b) Banketa business, c) Street peddling, d) Consignment and e) Money lending. b. The economic activities of Muslim migrants were found to be slightly productive in the following aspects a. The mean of previous daily gross income for Group A was P452.44 but at present it is P352.44,and this shows a difference of P100. The mean of previous daily gross income for Group B was P403.85 but at present it is P308.20,and this shows a difference of P95.65. Both groups' daily gross income is in a declining trend. b. The properties or appliances acquired by the Muslim migrants in Baguio City include television sets, VHS or VCD players, telephone sets or cellular phones, karaokes, refrigerators, washing machines, sala sets, bank savings, educational plans, and cooking utensils. The market value of each of these properties or appliances ranges from P6,000 to P25, 000. 3. The dependence of Muslim migrants or their sources of capital were identified with the following degrees: a. The respondents who depend on loans are very dependent on it because they resort to it very often; and b. The respondents who depend on informal loans are dependent because they resort to it often. 4. The degree of adequacy of Muslim migrants' sources are identifies thus: a. For Group A, the sources of their capital are considered moderately adequate. b. For Group B, the sources of their capital are also considered moderately adequate. 5. The degree of the effects of the increasing number of big business establishments in Baguio City on the economic activities of Muslim migrants are moderate. 6. The extent of the effectiveness of the following strategies used by Muslim migrants to address the consequences brought by the increasing number of big business establishments in Baguio city are alternating techniques of selling which are considered less effective, changing the nature of sales which is considered less effective and engagement in other economic activities which is considered not effective. The findings deduced from the analysis and interpretations of data enabled the researcher to arrive at the following conclusions: 1. Sidewalk vending is the most preferred economic activity of the Muslim migrants in Baguio City and remains as the most favorable and profitable for the vendors up to this time. 2. The productiveness of the economic activities of Muslim migrants in Baguio City is minimal and declining. 3. Both formal and informal loans are the primary sources of Muslim migrants' capital. 4. The sources of capital of Muslim migrants in Baguio City are sufficient. 5. The presence of big business establishments in Baguio City did not cause strong effects to the daily income of Muslim migrants in Baguio City. 6. The strategies used by the Muslim migrants are not enough to solve their problems. Based on the foregoing results, the following recommendations are hereby forwarded to Improve the economic status of Muslim migrants in Baguio City: 1. The Muslim migrants in Baguio City should learn more livelihood projects offered by the DSWD in Baguio City such as manufacturing handicrafts for tourists like wall decors, ethnic designs and woodcarvings because these are the products look for by the tourists in the City of Baguio. 2. The Muslim migrants need to improve their way of conducting their economic activities by making it more presentable, more creative by putting fixed but reasonable prices for every item displayed as part of attracting more customers. 3. The Muslim migrants should also aspire to acquire properties such as house and lot for more permanent and decent dwelling and educational plans for their children as part of insuring them a better future. Through education, their children will have the chance to be more economically stable than they are who are engaged in the shadow economy. 4. The Muslim migrants should apply for Social Security System (SSS) as self-employed members in order to avail of the benefits, loans and assistance in the future offered by SSS to all qualified members. They should broaden also the membership coverage of their existing "paluwagan" system for bigger remittances and financial aid for an individual member. 5. Despite the moderate adequacy of the Muslim migrants' sources of capital, they still need to have alternative sources of capital like their SSS membership and "paluwagan" membership in case their primary source of capital fails to provide them financial needs. 6. Though the effects of increasing big business establishments in Baguio City are considered moderate by the Muslim migrants, still they should come up with possible remedies or solutions in order to prepare themselves for the stronger effects these upcoming business establishments will have on their economic activities. For instance, they should start working on the legalization of their operations to insure their right to equal protection of the laws in case rivalry between the informal and formal sectors can not be avoided. 7. The strategies used by the Muslim migrants in addressing the problems they are encountering were found to be less effective and some were not effective at all. For this, the researcher proposes that there should be a program to be undertaken by the barangay concerned or the City government of Baguio in coordination with the Office of Muslim Affairs. There should be quarterly seminars for Muslim migrants regarding the strategies on how to conduct their economic activities more productively within the bounds of the City government's existing policies.