Workers’ Labor Day call: P150 wage hike pushed

CEBU, Philippines — Department of Labor and Employment-7 and the local government officials banded together yesterday to honor the importance of the Central Visayas’ labor force.

This, as the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, Partido Manggagawa (PM), alongside the coalition Sugbuanong Mamumuo Nagkahiusa Alang sa Living Wage, held a rally yesterday morning at the Fuente Osmeña Circle in Cebu City to call for the legislation of an additional wage of P150 per day.

Thor Panilagao, Sentro Cebu Chairperson and MEPZ union leader, said granting the P150 wage increase is a “pivotal step” towards the legislation of a “?750 daily wage increase for private sector workers and a new Salary Standardization Law (SSL) anchored on the ?33,000 monthly minimum wage for public sector workers.”

PM-Cebu chairperson Zacarias Parba, on the other hand, lambasted the House of Representatives for prioritizing Charter Change, “which would only benefit the ruling elites, foreign and local, and further add woes to the working people”, instead of a wage adjustment for the country’s labor force.

“Ang pagbaliwala sa Kongreso sa panginahanglan sa mga yanong mamumuo samtang ginaduso ang walay pulos nga Charter Change sukwahi sa prinsipyo sa ‘primacy of labor over capital’ base sa atong Konstitusyon,” he said.

Parba said the “four key issues crucial to the labor sector” are the lowering of daily expenses, raising wages, creating jobs, and addressing poverty:.

These, he said, reflect workers' need for concrete governmental actions, and not the proposed constitutional amendments”.

Meanwhile, DOLE-7 Regional Director Lilia A. Estillore said celebrating “Labor Day”, themed "Sa bagong Pilipinas: Manggagawang Pilipino, Kabalikat at Kasama sa Pag-asenso," is a recognition of the “resilience and contributions of our workforce to the dynamic growth” of Central Visayas.

This, she said, is reflected in the Central Visayas’ Gross Regional Domestic Product which, at 7.3 percent, is “the fastest-growing among all regions in the Philippines”.

Estillore was joined by officials of highly urbanized cities and representatives of the Regional Tripartite Industrial Peace Council-7 in leading separate opening ceremony of the 122nd Labor Day Celebration at the Talisay City Sports Complex.

She said employment rate in the region also increased from 95.2 percent in February 2023 to “an impressive” 96.5 percent in February 2024.

“This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of labor, thus positioning Central Visayas not only as a leader in regional growth but also as a central hub for innovation and entrepreneurship within the country,” Estillore said.

“We have therefore proven how we stood strong amidst compounded crises from the pandemic to the devastation from Typhoon Odette to El Niño, collaborating on recovery and resilience-building efforts,” she added.

“We are therefore confident that we can work towards long-term recovery and resilience against future disasters that may threaten us, as long as we continue to work hand in hand in peace and unity. Let us continue to practice the culture where the dignity of labor is respected and where labor and management collaborate closely, enhancing productivity and innovation and building a happy and motivated workforce,” she further said.

Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas, on the other hand, said that every one of us should ask ourselves if what we are doing, no matter the profession, has helped other people as well as the community.

Mandaue City Councilor Maline Cortes-Zafra, on behalf of Mayor Jonas Cortes, alse conveyed the city’s commitment to the improvement of the conditions of their workers, as well as the promotion of industrial peace.

“On this Labor Day, let us renew our commitment to supporting our workers and providing them with the necessary resources to succeed. We shall continue to work together in making Mandaue City a strong and prosperous community where all workers are valued and respected,” she said.

She assured that “the relationship among government, labor, and management in the city is very vibrant and dynamic”.

She said that the Mandaue City Tripartite Industrial Peace Council has been the forefront in ensuring an open communication and collaboration between labor and management, through their regular monthly meetings and quarterly general membership meetings.

Aside from holding job fairs yesterday, DOLE-7 also conducted a payout to thousands of beneficiaries of the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced (TUPAD) workers and Assistance on Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) programs amounting to almost P300 million.

In a separate Labor Day event in Lapu-Lapu City, Representative Cindi King-Chan led the payout for close to 1,000 TUPAD beneficiaries.

“Atong pasidunggan ang tanan nga naningkamot sa pagtrabaho para naay pangpalit ug mabutang nga pagkaon sa ilang mga lamesa, para sa pagpaeskwela sa ilang mga anak, ug sa paghimo og mas hayag nga kaugmaon sa ilang mga pamilya,” she said. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/RHM