Magpakatotoo tayo. Ang kasalukuyang minimum wage ng mga manggagawa sa pribadong sektor sa iba’t ibang rehiyon na nasa P361 hanggang P645 ay hindi sapat upang bumuhay ng kahit isang maliit na pamilya sa araw-araw.
Based on consultations with various stakeholders during the Senate hearings on the proposed legislated wage increase–which I conducted as the then chairperson of the labor committee–the most we can propose, while balancing the welfare of both workers and businesses, is a ₱100 daily pay hike for around 4.2 million wage earners “nationwide.”
Para sa mga ordinaryong manggagawa na pilit na binubuhay ang kanilang pamilya araw-araw, makakatulong ang taas-sahod para tustusan ang pambili nila ng bigas, ulam at pamasahe. Kung bibigyan natin sila ng pandagdag sa araw-araw na gastusin, bigyan naman natin sila ng halaga na mararamdaman nila ang paggaan ng kanilang pinansyal na pasanin.
The ₱50 increase granted by the NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) is a welcome development, as any adjustment to workers’ daily pay is timely and truly necessary to help keep up with the rising cost of living. However, I believe our kababayans deserve more than that.
That is why I will be re-filing this 20th Congress the bill on the proposed ₱100 legislated wage increase, which was passed by the Senate on third and final reading in the 19th Congress.