President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, May 1 ordered a review of the minimum wage rates in every region, taking into consideration the effects of the rising prices of goods and services.
Marcos made the directive during his speech at the Labor Day with the President event in Malacañang.
"I call on the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) to initiate a timely review of the minimum wage rates in their respective region with due consideration to the impact of inflation among others, within 60 days prior to the anniversary of their latest wage order," he said.
He also ordered the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NPWC) to review its rules to ensure that the boards are able to maintain a regular and predictable schedule of wage review, issuance and effectivity to reduce uncertainty and enhance fairness for all stakeholders.
The NPWC develops policies and guidelines on wages and productivity, and exercises supervision over the RWPBs, which implement incomes and productivity rules in their respective regions.
Marcos also called on Congress to pass laws that will support the attainment of the government's jobs creation agenda, including the Enterprise-based Education and Training Program law, the Revised Apprenticeship Program Act, and the CREATE MORE law or the law on Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy.
In the National Capital Region, the daily minimum wage for those working in non-agricultural sectors is PHP 610 per day.
Economic think tank IBON Foundation recently said that minimum wages across the 17 regions of the country are not enough to meet a typical family of five’s needs to cover food and non-food costs.
It further stressed that a PHP 690 wage hike “corrects decades of injustice where workers create huge profits for employers but receive meager wages.”
In his Labor Day message, the President paid tribute to the invaluable efforts of the Filipino laborers "whose grit and resilience have paved the way for our national development."
