Jeepneys plying Commonwealth Avenue. Inquirer Photo.
MANILA, Philippines聽鈥� Lawmakers from the House of Representatives鈥� Makabayan bloc have called out Malaca帽ang for seemingly downplaying calls for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify wage increase bills as urgent, claiming that the government only acts fast on fare and other payment hikes.
Makabayan, composed of ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, said that the proposed P200 increase on the daily salaries of minimum wage earners is a meager hike, but Malaca帽ang seems reluctant to prioritize this.
鈥淭he P200 wage hike increase is small, but they still do not want to certify it as urgent.聽 But fare hikes for LRT are immediately implemented.,鈥� the lawmakers said.
鈥淔ilipino workers cannot wait any longer. What we need is immediate, substantial relief through a legislated wage increase across the country,鈥� they added.
LRT fare hike
Makabayan was referring to the LRT Line 1 fare hike that became effective on Wednesday 鈥� despite calls to suspend it.
With the fare hike, the maximum fare for a single journey ticket will increase from P45 to P55, while the minimum fare will rise from P15 to P20.聽 The maximum fare for a stored value card will increase from P43 to P52, while the minimum fare will rise from P15 to P16.
On Wednesday too, Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said that Marcos鈥� directive was to follow what is stated in the country鈥檚 Labor Code, and for the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) 鈥渢o review the salaries or wages of our workers for each of the 16 regions.鈥�
READ: Minimum wage increase under review, Palace says
Undersecretary Castro鈥檚 statements came after the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) dared Marcos to rise above political squabbles and certify as urgent a bill granting a P200 minimum wage hike.
TUCP 鈥� one of the groups pushing for a legislated minimum wage hike 鈥� said the dire conditions that have affected the labor force should prompt Marcos to prioritize this proposed measure.
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Last January 30, the House committee on labor and employment approved a substitute bill that consolidates three wage hike proposals 鈥� House Bill (HB) Nos. 514, 7568, and 7871.
Across the board
HB No. 7871 filed by TUCP party-list lawmaker and Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza asked for a P150 across-the-board wage hike for all workers in the private sector.聽 The Makabayan bloc, on the other hand, filed HB No. 7568, which seeks a P750 wage increase.
When it was approved at the House plenary on second reading last February 3, most of the bill was retained except for a provision that would limit the P200 per day wage hike to minimum wage earners.
Rep. Castro said that a living wage is actually P1,200 鈥� which means that the proposed P200 per day increase is still far from providing minimum wage earners the basic needs.
Such a policy, Brosas added, is ironic because the government is quick to approve fare hikes for public services.
鈥淭he living wage is P1,200, that鈥檚 why this proposed P200 wage hike is small but the Palace seems intent on blocking it. Even this minimal increase, which falls far short of what workers truly need, faces obstruction from the government,鈥� Castro said.
Fare hike demand
鈥淲hen corporations demand fare hikes, the government expedites approval citing 鈥榗ontractual obligations.鈥� But when workers ask for wage increases, suddenly there are bureaucratic processes that must be followed. Why is it that the government always has reasons to delay programs for the people?鈥� Brosas said.
Manuel on the other hand said this policy hurts the youth, and forces families to have their children work just to support their studies.
鈥淭he youth, especially those from working-class families, are directly affected by these anti-people policies.聽 Many students are forced to work while studying just to help their families survive.聽 How can students study properly if their parents cannot earn enough for them?鈥� he added.
鈥淲e call on President Marcos to demonstrate genuine concern for the Filipino people by immediately certifying the P200 wage hike bill as urgent. The RTWPBs have historically granted meager increases that fail to keep pace with rising costs of living,鈥� they added.