Wages in coins: Mayor Gatchalian acts to correct ‘cruel’ pay practice

MANILA, Philippines — Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday said he would meet the factory owner whose worker received wages in centavo coins to correct the “cruel and unusual” practice.

Gatchalian spoke with a representative from Next Green Factory on Monday to discuss the case of a factory worker whose two-day wage of P1,056 was paid in five and ten centavos.

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“I’ll face the owner himself with the concerned worker on Wednesday,” he said in a Facebook post. “Sending a company representative won’t cut it for me.”

“I’ll see to it that we get to the bottom of this ‘cruel and unusual’ labor practice and deal with it accordingly,” Gatchalian added.

According to the city’s public information office, the factory’s owner is currently out of town.

A portion of the BSP Circular No. 537, Series of 2006 provides that any “coins in denomination of P1 to P5 shall be legal tender in an amount not exceeding P1,000.00; and P0.01 to .05, 0.10 to 0.25 and 0.25 centavo shall be legal tender in the amount not exceeding P100.00.”

/abc/