Recently, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), through the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), invited stakeholders on a series of public hearings this August, on an issue that has always pitted business and labor against each other: the issue of raising the minimum wage in the Calabarzon region.
The last time the RTWPB had raised the minimum wage in the region was September last year, when the base minimum wage was increased by up to P350 to P520.
Yet somehow, inflation has caught up once again with this “measly” (as some sectors call it) wage hike. The most recent news from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) that inflation rates rose to 4.4 percent last July had served, to many, as justification for yet another wage increase.
Then there is the fact that living costs in the province of Laguna, particularly in the so-called “industrial belt” from San Pedro to Calamba cities, are now at par with that of Metro Manila.
Yet there are also valid concerns that many businesses, particularly the micro, small and medium business enterprises (MSMEs), cannot afford another wage hike as they fear this could lead to losses and ultimately, the closure of their businesses.
There is no denying, however, that a wage increase, no matter how “measly,” means a family has more money to spend – and knowing the average Filipino, they will spend it. That could translate to more purchases, more earnings for MSMEs, more impetus for businesses to grow.
All these considerations the RTWPB should take into account as they once again deliberate the issue that could literally spell life or death for the workers.
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