BACOLOD City — The Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) is proposing a sector- and enterprise-size-based approach to wage adjustments, saying wage policy should balance workers’ need for higher income with job security and business sustainability.
In its position presented during the recent wage consultation of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Negros Island Region, the business group called for a differentiated approach based on the capacity of industries and establishments to absorb higher labor costs.
Frank Carbon, MBCCI vice president for government affairs and executive officer, said the proposal calls for a deferred wage adjustment for the agriculture sector and micro and small enterprises employing fewer than 10 workers.
For establishments with 10 or more employees, the chamber proposed a P10-per-day wage increase.
Carbon clarified that the proposed P10 adjustment is not a ceiling but a minimum increase, with larger establishments allowed to grant higher adjustments depending on their financial capacity.
He said the framework is intended to preserve jobs by recognizing differences in operating costs and financial resources among businesses.
Carbon said agriculture deserves special consideration because of its importance to rural employment and household income.
He noted that the sugar industry continues to face challenges, including red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation, rising production costs and other agricultural risks.
The chamber warned that additional mandatory labor costs could prompt some farms to reduce working days, workforce numbers or operations.
For micro and small enterprises, MBCCI said businesses with limited financial reserves may struggle to absorb higher labor costs or pass the additional expenses on to consumers through higher prices.
Carbon also underscored the role of small businesses in providing employment and serving as entry points into the formal economy.
For establishments employing 10 or more workers, he said the proposed P10-per-day adjustment reflects what the chamber considers their generally greater capacity to absorb incremental labor costs.
Carbon said the proposal recognizes workers’ demand for higher incomes while taking into account the ability of businesses to sustain operations and employment.
The chamber also acknowledged the continuing increase in the cost of basic necessities, including food, electricity and transportation, and called for measures that address these expenses alongside wage policy.
Carbon stressed that economic growth does not necessarily mean all businesses have the same capacity to shoulder higher labor costs.
He called for wage policies that recognize the differences among farms, small businesses and larger companies.
In the long term, Carbon said MBCCI seeks to promote higher productivity and stronger business capacity, which would enable employers to provide more sustainable wage increases.
He said the chamber’s position is anchored on three objectives: protecting workers, preserving jobs and sustaining the enterprises that create employment./PN
