Middle Classes, Moving and Staying in Metro Manila

The document explores how residents of Metro Manila define being and becoming middle class, highlighting a diversity of markers including employment, consumption, and values. It examines the intersection of social mobility and migration, noting that Metro Manila serves as a hub for internal migrants and a transit point for international migration, with remittances and family support networks playing key roles in achieving middle-class status.

• Perceptions of markers that define being middle class in Metro Manila are diverse and split among residents. While 60% of survey respondents associate middle-class status with owning a motorbike and approximately 60% associate it with having home air conditioning, only half believe middle-class families typically send their children to private schools.
• The primary factors perceived as essential for becoming middle class are having a salaried job and owning a business, followed by personal values and priorities. A near-universal belief among respondents is that hard work is the sole requirement for upward mobility, while education and professional connections are seen as necessary only by some.
• Financial support from abroad and broader family networks are significant contributors to achieving and maintaining middle-class status. About one-third of respondents view receiving money from abroad as crucial, and interviewees noted that their lifestyles are often enabled by relatives—such as parents, siblings, or children—who act as breadwinners.
• Internal migration is a common feature for residents of Metro Manila, with 54% of survey respondents born outside the city in diverse areas across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The city functions as a destination for internal migrants and a transit point for those moving internationally.
• Future migration intentions among the surveyed middle class are predominantly skewed toward staying in the city, though a minority still seek movement. While 73% of respondents do not expect to leave Metro Manila, 27% anticipate moving within the next five years to other parts of the Philippines or abroad.

APA

Liao, K., Erdal, M. B., Fitzmaurice, M., & Abraham, A. (2024). Middle Classes, Moving and Staying in Metro Manila. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7c1080fd-2084-4a76-b88c-0bdde63089a3/PRIO Paper - Migration Manila.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Liao, Karen, Marta Bivand Erdal, Maisie Fitzmaurice, and Anu Abraham. Middle Classes, Moving and Staying in Metro Manila. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2024. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7c1080fd-2084-4a76-b88c-0bdde63089a3/PRIO Paper - Migration Manila.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Liao |first1=Karen |last2=Erdal |first2=Marta Bivand |last3=Fitzmaurice |first3=Maisie |last4=Abraham |first4=Anu |title=Middle Classes, Moving and Staying in Metro Manila |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2024 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7c1080fd-2084-4a76-b88c-0bdde63089a3/PRIO Paper - Migration Manila.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{liao2024middle, author = {Liao, Karen and Erdal, Marta Bivand and Fitzmaurice, Maisie and Abraham, Anu}, title = {{Middle Classes, Moving and Staying in Metro Manila}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2024}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/7c1080fd-2084-4a76-b88c-0bdde63089a3/PRIO Paper - Migration Manila.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }