MANILA, Philippines— The Kabataan party-list group on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to increase nationwide wages across-the-board by P750 under House Bill 7568 instead of pursuing foreign direct investments (FDI) to spur national industries.
“We call on Malacanang to immediately release an Executive Order to raise the wage rate at least by P750 to bring the average minimum wage to the living wage amount of P1,117 (As calculated by IBON Foundation),” the party-list group said in a statement.
It also asserted that even under previous administrations, FDIs have not “borne any sort of economic growth, only the deterioration of the manufacturing and agriculture sectors of our economy that serve as the bedrock of sustainable development.”
“Kahit gaano karami pang FDI ang maaaring pumasok sa bansa buhat ng Charter Change, walang assurance sa pag-unlad kung pabrika lang ng produktong ibebenta nila sa atin ang itatayo sa Pilipinas. Kontraktwal na trabaho na may di sapat na sahod lang ang dala ng FDI,” stated Kabataan party-list Secretary-General Julius Cantiga.
(No matter how many FDIs enter the country via Charter Change, there is no assurance of development if they only sell us factories to be put up here in the Philippines. Contractual jobs and insufficient pay are all FDIs bring us.)
“Ang realidad, dayuhang negosyo ang pinakamakikinabang sa ChaCha at pagpasok ng FDI dahil nasusulit nila ang mababang pasahod sa atin,” he added.
(In reality, only foreign businesses will benefit from Charter Change and FDIs because they can exploit us for lower wages.)
Kabataan maintains that an ideal wage is key to a healthy and productive workforce, which will spur industry growth in the country.
The call was made while President Marcos Jr. was in the US to meet President Joe Biden and other officials.
Kabataan decried the “potential unequal military agreements to reinforce VFA-EDCA that may arise” from the PH-US talks.
“Kaya sa halip na ubusin ni Marcos Jr. ang oras nya sa international flights para mamalimos sa investments tulad ng agenda niya kay Biden ngayong araw, why not invest in our own workers? Dagdag sahod ngayon na!” Catigan said.
(That’s why, instead of wasting his time on international flights to beg for investments, similar to his agenda with Biden today, why not invest in our own workers? Increase wages now!)