ILOILO City – Labor groups in Western Visayas are pressing Congress to take control of minimum wage legislation after rejecting the newly approved P40 to P45 daily pay increase as grossly inadequate, arguing that the adjustment fails to recover the P148 in purchasing power workers have lost to inflation.
The United Labor Panay (ULP) and General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA) criticized the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) for approving what they described as a token increase that would barely ease the financial burden of minimum wage earners struggling with rising prices of food, utilities and other basic necessities.
The wage board approved new daily minimum rates of P590 for non-agricultural workers and P565 for agricultural workers, subject to final affirmation by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
Elmer Forro, secretary-general of cause-oriented group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Panay and representative of ULP, said the P40 increase for non-agricultural workers falls far short of the P148 in purchasing power that workers have lost because of inflation.
According to Forro, the previous P550 minimum daily wage has effectively declined to just P402 in real purchasing power following sharp increases in commodity prices, with regional inflation previously exceeding nine percent.
“Dismayado kami sa sini nga tuman ka nubo nga gin-approve nga wage increase,” Forro told Panay News.
Forro said the latest wage adjustment demonstrated the limitations of the regional wage-setting mechanism, which labor groups have repeatedly criticized for failing to provide sufficient increases to match the cost of living.
He called for the restoration of congressional authority to legislate a nationwide, across-the-board minimum wage increase instead of leaving wage adjustments to regional boards.
“But then, indi man diri magadulog ang aton pakipag-away sa sweldo sang mga mamugon. I-address naton sa Congress paagi sang pag-demand sang fixed minimum wage nga waay nahatag sang wage board,” he added.
Forro maintained that the approved increase, although insufficient, resulted from the collective struggle of workers demanding higher wages.
“Isa sang demands naton nga ibalik sa Congress ang pag-legislate sang wage increase para mapasiguro nga nationwide across the board,” he added.
GAWA secretary-general Wennie Sancho echoed the criticism, dismissing the adjustment as mere loose change that would quickly be consumed by increasing prices.
“I don’t think any worker would be satisfied with that. The wage increase per day would be negated by the unabated increases in the prices of basic goods and services. More importantly, it would be eaten by inflation,” Sancho stated in a radio interview.
“Masyado kagamay. Loose change ang ginhatag,” Sancho added.
Sancho argued that workers needed a daily wage increase of at least P80 to P100 to meaningfully restore their purchasing power, particularly as the holiday season approaches.
“Ka-disgusting. The increase did not restore the purchasing power of the workers,” he argued.
Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 director and RTWPB chairman Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr. defended the wage board’s decision, explaining that it had to balance workers’ demands for higher pay with the financial capacity of employers.
Rodriguez particularly cited the vulnerability of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which could face financial difficulties, closures or layoffs if required to absorb substantially higher labor costs.
Forro, however, challenged the government’s repeated reliance on the financial limitations of small businesses to justify modest wage increases.
He argued that the government should provide financial assistance and incentives to smaller enterprises to help them comply with higher wage requirements instead of allowing workers and small business owners to bear the economic burden.
Forro also questioned why workers and small entrepreneurs continued to struggle despite Western Visayas recording a 6.4-percent economic growth rate.
“Diin nagkadto ang growth rate nga ini? Indi mabatyagan sang aton gagmay nga negosyante. Indi man mabatyagan sang aton nga mamumugon,” he said.
He claimed that the benefits of regional economic expansion were not being adequately shared with workers, while large corporations continued to enjoy substantial profits.
Forro also accused policymakers of repeatedly using the difficulties of small businesses to justify low wage adjustments, creating unnecessary friction between employers and employees.
The approved wage adjustment covers private-sector workers in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
The new wage rates will take effect 15 days after official publication, following final affirmation by the NWPC, with implementation anticipated around mid-November 2026./PN
