Marcos touts minimum wage increase as one of gov’t accomplishments

Screenshot from RTVM/LIVE

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. listed the increase of minimum wages across the country as an accomplishment, saying that these were able to help several workers’ families.

Marcos, in the middle part of his 2024 State of the Nation Address (Sona) speech on Monday, said that the wage levels have been increased across all regions including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“Sa lahat ng mga ginagawa nating ito, katuwang natin palagi ang pribadong sektor lalo na sa mahahalagang bagay ng trabaho at pasahod.  With tripartite consensus, minimum wage levels have been increased in various sectors, in all regions including the BARMM, for workers in private establishments,” Marcos said.

(With everything we do, we always have the private sector as our partner, especially in crucial matters of employment and wages. With tripartite consensus, minimum wage levels have been increased in various sectors, across all regions including the BARMM, for workers in private establishments)

“Makakapag-dulot ito ng ginahawa sa mahigit apat na milyong mga kababayan natin at sa kanilang mga pamilya,” he added.

(This can bring relief to over four million of our fellow citizens and their families.)

Last July 2, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board approved a P35 increase in the daily minimum wage for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR).

READ: P35 wage hike approved; labor groups furious 

This comes after the board also raised the daily minimum pay by P40 in June 2023 or a year before.

READ: P40 minimum wage increase approved in Metro Manila 

Marcos also said that salary increases await government employees, adding that it will be delivered in four tranches.

“Para naman sa ating mga kawani ng gobyerno, meron silang maaasahan na medical allowance bilang karagdagang benepisyo sa susunod na taon,” he said.  “At hindi lamang ‘yon, meron ding napipintong umento sa sweldo na makukuha nila sa apat na tranche, naglaan na po tayo ng pondo para dito simula sa taong ito at sa mga susunod na taon.”

(For our government employees, they can expect a medical allowance as an additional benefit next year. And not only that, there is also an impending salary increase they will receive in four tranches. We have allocated funds for this starting this year and in the coming years.)

“Furthermore, we have extended the services of our job order and contract of service personnel working in government.  This will also afford them ample opportunity to work on their civil service eligibilities while gaining additional relevant experience and training to upgrade their employment qualifications,” he added.

Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc already predicted Marcos’ citation of the wage hike as an achievement.

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas last July 4 said she expects Marcos’ Sona to be full of flowery words — adding that reporting on the P35 wage increase will insult workers.

“So for our expectation po, this will be just another Sona.  We think that flowery words will be used and we would hear empty promises again regarding a significant salary increase.  That’s what we are talking about.  If they will report about the meager P35 wage increase, it is an insult to workers,” she said.

“Second, we give the President failing grades because he cannot be proud of anything in his Sona when he has done nothing significant.  The government was unable to address rising prices of goods and food, in fact, not only basic commodities saw price increase, even non-food items saw a 5.7 percent inflation.  So this means they were not able to address the people’s needs,” she added.

When asked if there is a chance for their perception of the administration to change, given that some of the policies have been attuned to the principles of the Makabayan bloc, Brosas said that it is hard to give good grades when significant changes have not happened.

“It’s hard to give a better grade because we are looking for basic things, like currently, we are asking that we would not be dragged into a war between America and China.  That’s a crucial issue, if you ask Filipinos what their stakes are in this conflict, people say they do not want war,” she said.

“Second, if we are talking about improving the grades given, a crucial topic is the economy.  If the economy does not improve, where do we base our position for a better score given to the administration, if they cannot address basic needs?” she asked.

NOTE: Most of the English translations in the article were AI-generated.