How can workers live humane life with starvation wages?
Instead of driving away investors via its misguided drive against legal contractualization (which destroys thousands of job opportunities every day), the government is better advised to focus its energy and resources in reviewing the current levels of minimum wages across the 17 regions all over the country. Unabated rise in inflation and the declining value of the Philippine peso are leading Filipinos to work abroad. They go to countries with no respect for human rights, and whose nationals treat our OFWs like slaves, especially the domestic helpers, making them work 16 to 18 hours a day, without adequate food, living quarters, and medicine. They do dirty, difficult, dangerous, degrading, and deceptive work. Many are maltreated, raped, and murdered. Why are they there? One reason is the absence of jobs in the Philippines and the starvation wages we pay as minimum compensation.
Consider that the regions with the lowest minimum wages are also the top sources of OFWs, mostly domestics in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates. SOCKSARGEN or Region 12 workers are paid a high of P295 or a low of P272 for eight hours of work each day. Their employers are multinational exporters of bananas, pineapple, tuna, and other foods. How can a family of five afford decent food, clothing, and shelter, and still live a humane life with such starvation wages? In Region 6, sugarlandia, hacienderos live wealthy and luxurious lives yet pay their sacada workers a low of P271.50 a day and their factory workers P323. How can they afford electricity, transport, and other necessities?
In Region 8 many oligarchs and political dynasties with big landed estates, pay only a high of P285 and a low of P245 for eight hours of hard work. This is the region of the Romualdezes where the grand dame Imelda hails. This is the land of the Petillas whose dynasty has ruled the province for decades. How can the politicians be so rich and the people so poorly paid? The Zamboanga Peninsula, the sardines region and the land of the many political dynasties, pays their workers a high of P296 and a low of P283. In Mindoro, Palawan, Marinduque, and Romblon workers are paid a low of P259 and a high of P300. The ARMM pays a high of P265 and a low of P255. The Cordilleras pay a high of P300 and a low of P280.
In our own Region 7 the Class A area, the so-called Extended Metro Cebu from Cebu City to Carcar City in the south and Liloan to the north pay a high of P366 and a low of P316. Class B, Toledo and Bogo, and the rest of Cebu except Camotes and Bantayan, pay a high of P333 to a low of P303. Class C, Bohol and Negros, pays P323 to a low of P303. Class D, Siquijor, Camotes, and Bantayan pay a high of P308 and a low of P288. Now tell me, how much does a kilo of rice cost? How much is the daily budget to sustain a humanly decent life in Cebu and other islands in Central Visayas? The government, unions, and employers should examine their conscience this Holy Week. How can they approve minimum wages that starve the workers and drive them to become OFWs? And why is government relentless in driving away investors by disallowing a perfectly legal scheme of outsourcing, a global approach to flexibility in work arrangements?
The government, unions, and employers need to do a lot of reflection this Holy Week. Why do oligarchs continue to get richer and why are union leaders becoming mysteriously wealthier too? I pause for any reply and invoke my right to remain silent.
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