SEN. Bong Go has called for broader wage increases nationwide and urged labor officials to look beyond Metro Manila as rising prices continue to erode workers’ purchasing power.
Go made the appeal during the recent Senate hearing on the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) proposed 2027 budget.
While welcoming the latest wage hike in the National Capital Region (NCR), Go urged labor officials to closely monitor the situation of workers in other parts of the country.
“We should not focus only on Metro Manila. We should also look at the situation of workers in other regions, especially in areas where more people need additional support,” he said in Filipino.
He pointed to the continuing gap between workers’ wages and the rising cost of basic necessities, saying many Filipinos continue to struggle to keep pace with increasing prices.
“The prices of goods continue to rise faster than wages. We can say that there is still a mismatch between wages and the prices of basic goods, and the purchasing power of our fellow Filipinos remains low,” he said.
Go also cited Senate Bill 175, which he filed, that seeks a P100 increase in the daily minimum wage for private-sector workers.
SB 175 “would help workers keep pace with the continuing increase in the prices of basic necessities and ensure a decent standard of living for their families,” he said.
During the hearing, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino discussed wage adjustments being implemented in areas outside Metro Manila.
Tolentino said workers in Central Visayas, including Cebu and Bohol, as well as Negros Oriental and Siquijor in the Negros Island Region, were set to receive an additional P42 in their daily wages effective Oct. 14.
Based on 26 working days, the increase would amount to about P1,092 in additional income for minimum wage earners.
Tolentino said wage deliberations were also progressing in Calabarzon and Central Luzon, and that the second tranche of a pay hike in the Davao Region had been implemented.
He said that wage adjustments are implemented on different schedules because regional wage boards operate according to their anniversary dates.
The boards also conduct consultations with employers and workers before determining new wage rates.
Go acknowledged the role of regional wage boards in determining wage levels.
“Regardless of the amount, you know it better because you are more familiar with the prices of goods and the cost of living in your respective areas,” he said.
