House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party List Representative Marcelino Libanan urged all 16 Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) beyond Metro Manila to raise the minimum wage rate as soon as possible, to diminish the impact of soaring commodity prices.

"Under the Labor Code, all regional wage boards are empowered to review and raise the take-home pay of workers even in the absence of any petition for an increase," the lawmaker said.

Among Filipinos' top five concerns are wage hikes, along with inflation, poverty reduction, job creation, and government graft and corruption, according to Pulse Asia's June 2024 survey on national concerns and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address (SONA).

It can be recalled that the RTWPB in Metro Manila increased salaries by P35 a day, which will take effect on Wednesday, July 17.