Senate-approved P100 wage hike is ‘better than nothing,’ says NAPC

Workers (File photo taken on February 15, 2024)

MANILA, Philippines — National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) originally suggested a P150 wage increase to Congress, but any increase is better than nothing.

The commission recalled its recommendation as it reacted to the P100 across-the-board increase in the daily minimum wage approved by Senate for workers in private sector.

“Wine-welcome po natin ito sa council namin. In fact, nagkaroon kami ng resolution diyan at pinasa namin sa senado at sa House of Representatives,” said NAPC-Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sector Alternate Sectoral Representative Danilo Laserna.

(The council welcomes this. In fact, we had a resolution that we passed in Senate and House of Representatives.)

“Hihingi pa nga namin ay P150, but mas mabuti na mayroon kaysa sa wala,” he added during Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing.

(We even asked for P150, but it is better that there is something, rather than none at all.)

Despite the pay raise, Laserna said there are still concerns on how the legislated wage hike will affect micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

He noted small business owners do not have the same capacity to pay their workers additional wages, unlike business conglomerates.

However, Laserna said MSMEs have multiple tax incentives from government that ease the cost of their expenditures.

“Lahat ng posibilidad para ma-increase ang kanilang minimum wage ay pinag-aaralan natin yan,” he told reporters.

(All the possibilities to increase the minimum wage will be studied.)