High prices of basic goods ‘make workers less productive’

A labor group has warned that because of the “extraordinary” rise in the prices of basic commodities, workers’ productivity may soon suffer as access to nutritious food becomes more limited.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines said they expected the economy to be less competitive since workers were now having a hard time availing themselves of healthy food “essential to their capacity to produce goods and provide quality services.”

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that in July, the prices of vegetables and fish rose the fastest at 16 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively. —JOVIC YEE