We’re Being Screwed

I don’t know but lately I’ve been finding things to be pretty expensive here. Take for example a Nalgene bottle. It is priced online at $5.95 or P250 at the current supposed exchange rate of P42:$1. But it is priced at up to P900 or an effective rate of P151:$1!!! Another example, an Oakley Square Wire. It is priced online at $150 or P6,300. But here it is priced at P9,900 or an effective rate of P66:$1. Finally, there’s the soon to be released Asus EEE PC 900. According to Yugatech, It will be priced in the US at $549 or P23,058. But it will actually be priced at P33,900 here or an effective rate of P61.75:$1. Hardware, software, books, medicine, even hair gel… the story is the same. Whether due to bloated profit margins, VAT, tariffs, or whatever, it seems were we’re being screwed by both greedy capitalists and, worse, the government.