‘Wage hike, agri support needed to survive inflation in 2023,’ say Pampanga business execs

CLARK FREEPORT — Two business leaders in Pampanga have urged the government to approve doubling the daily minimum wages and extend more support to the agriculture sector to minimize the effects of inflation and food security threats this 2023.

Raising the wage to between P1,000 and P1,500 could give workers more purchasing power that, in the immediate term, could stir the economy, Renato Romero, former president of the Pampanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PamCham), said Wednesday, Jan. 4, at a news forum KapiHan of the Pampanga Press Club in Swissotel in this freeport.

“We are midway to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and other disruptions. 2024 is the final transition year,” said Romero, who is in the food and manpower business in Luzon and Visayas.

Wage Order No. 23 of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board pegged the minimum wage as of Jan. 1 from P344 to P409 in Aurora province and from P435 to 460 in six other Central Luzon provinces.

“Workers earn less than the price of onions that fetched P700 per kilo,” Romero said.

The agricultural sector needs support in access to resilient seedlings, production capital, storage facilities, and research and development, said Prudencio Garcia, president of Mekeni Food Corp. and PamCham vice chair.

Romero and Garcia appreciated the reduction of import tariff and efforts to make true the ease of doing business, appealing also to the government to ensure that the Clark International Airport is “not under capacity” for travel, tourism, and trade.

TONETTE OREJAS INQ

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