Valenzuela mayor halts operation of factory who paid worker in centavo coins

Image from Facebook/Valenzuela City

MANILA, Philippines — Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Wednesday suspended the operation of a factory that paid the wages of its worker in centavo coins.

Gatchalian announced the move following a dialogue between Nexgreen Enterprise owner, Jasper So and his former employee Russel Mañosa.

Mañosa received his two-day wage worth P1,056 in the form of five and 10 centavos, which earned the ire of Gatchalian.

Order of suspension of business permit issued by Valenzuela Mayor Rex Gatchalian

So claimed that the incident was “accidental” and the coins were meant to be for religious offering.

The mayor, however, did not buy his explanation: “Sa personal kong pananaw hindi yan aksidente. Alam ko na yan eh, nagkainisan kayo, uminit ang ulo mo, pinagdiskitahan mo,” Gatchalian said.

(In my own personal view, that’s not an accident. I already figured it out: You got irritated and you picked on him.)

The local government’s business permit and licensing office issued a Stop Order to the factory, which now has 15 days to rectify its violations.

The local government cited violations pursuant to the grant of the mayor’s permit, waiver/undertaking, as well as violations of the labor code, BSP Circular No. 537, Series of 2006, and alleged non-coverage of SSS, Philhealth, and PAGIBIG Fund to its workers.

Mañosa, for his part, has a piece of advice to his former employer.

“Hindi naman tayo aabot sa ganito kung nabayaran niyo ako nang maayos,” Mañosa said to his former boss. “Kasi bumalik ako sa inyo nang maayos, sana pinasahod niyo rin ako nang maayos.”

(We would not have reached this point had you paid me properly… I returned to work properly, you should have given me my wages properly.)

EDV