(POLITIKO) Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has commended the National Capital Region Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board for increasing the daily minimum wage by P35, a paltry increase widely panned by the labor sector.
Estrada said the latest pay adjustment for Metro Manila workers would benefit the estimated 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila.
“While this increase is a positive development, we must continue to strive for comprehensive measures that will further protect and uplift the lives of our workers. Ensuring wages keep pace with the cost of living and inflation is fundamental to promoting economic stability and social equity,” said Estrada, calling himself a “labor advocate.”
“But for the meantime, this adjustment will provide much-needed relief to our workers and their families, ensuring they have a better chance at maintaining a decent standard of living,” he added.
The senator commended the P35 increase even though he steered the passage of the P100 daily minimum wage increase when he was labor committee chairperson.
The P35 wage increase resulted in the following new minimum wage rates – P645 for non-agriculture workers, and P608 for those in the agriculture sector, service and retail establishments employing 15 or fewer workers, and manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers.
Estrada said the wage increase was reasonable to “strike a balance between ensuring fair wages for our workers and supporting the growth and sustainability of our MSMEs.”
“Mas mahirap sa mga naghihikahos nating kababayan na tustusan ang pang-araw-araw na gastusin ng kanilang pamilya ang patuloy na pagtaas na presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin kaya makakatulong ang dagdag sa sahod lalo na sa mga minimum wage earners,” Estrada said.
“Pero sana tumaas pa ang arawang sahod nila dahil kakarampot kung tutuusin ang dagdag na P35,” he added.