Pamumuhay

Pamumuhay is a Filipino term referring to the way individuals or households earn a living and meet daily needs. It denotes the overall living condition and economic activities that sustain daily life. The word is derived from the root muhay, meaning to live, with affixes that form a noun describing the process or state of living.

In scholarly and policy contexts, pamumuhay encompasses livelihood strategies, including sources of income (agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, services, informal work), expenditures, savings, and access to basic services such as food, housing, health care, and education. It also covers resilience to shocks, social networks, and capacity to adapt to changing conditions.

Variations exist across rural and urban settings, regions, and households. Rural pamumuhay often relies on agriculture or fisheries and seasonal patterns, while urban pamumuhay centers on services or informal employment. Gender, age, education, and asset availability influence livelihoods, as do policy environment and external factors such as climate change and economic cycles.

In development analysis, pamumuhay is studied through livelihoods frameworks that consider assets (human, financial, natural, social, physical), vulnerability contexts, and livelihood strategies and outcomes. Governments and organizations implement programs to improve incomes, reduce poverty, enhance access to services, and promote sustainable and resilient ways of living.