PBBM urged: Certify wage hike bill as urgent

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) dared President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the proposed P200 legislated wage increase.

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In a press conference yesterday, ALU Central Visayas Region (ALU-CVR) Vice President Atty. Zeus R. Mabanag said the passage of the proposed measure is long overdue, noting that the regional wage boards are giving only “barya-barya.”

To recall, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Visayas adjusted the minimum wage to P33 and P43 for workers in the private sector depending on the category.

With this, ALU-CVR and TUCP believe that the amount granted by RTWPB is not enough.

“Dili jud siya makapa salwa sa mga mamumuo nga makadawat og minimum na sweldo that would allow them to live above the poverty line,” said Mabanag.

“What is needed is really an increase nga P200 para lang they can live comfortably,” he added.

According to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the monthly poverty threshold for a family of five is P14,397.

Meanwhile, the monthly nominal minimum wage for 26 working days in Central Visayas, where the daily rate is only P501, amounts to just P13,026.