Cordillera workers seek wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — Citing the rising cost of living, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) filed yesterday a petition before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board seeking an increase of P410 in the daily pay of minimum wage earners in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

The current daily minimum wage in the region is P350.

The TUCP said the last wage order in the Cordilleras was issued in 2019, and provided an increase that ranged from P30 to P45 in Baguio City, La Trinidad and Tabuk City in Benguet and P25 to P40 in other areas in the region.

Abra, Apayao, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province are the other provinces under CAR.

“After two years and six months since Wage Order RB I-20 was issued, the P25 to P45 increase has long dissipated,” the petition stated.

The TUCP noted that the purchasing power of the P350 and P340 daily wage in the region is now equivalent only to P310.84 and P301.95, respectively.

“The daily take-home pay of minimum wage earners is a measly P332.15 and P312.15 per day after the government mandated deductions with a purchasing power of only P294.98 and P277.22, respectively,” the labor group said.

“The budget per meal per person is between P12.42 to P12.82. Clearly, it cannot provide for the recommended nutritional requirements for a family of five,” the TUCP said.