A LABOR non-government organization (NGO) is optimistic about its push to raise the minimum wage in the region to address workers’ growing needs.
Leah Miñoza, executive director of the Nonoy Librado Development Foundation, emphasized in a media interview on Friday, September 27, 2024, at the Redemptorist Pastoral Building, Davao City, that the “call for a substantial wage increase is well-founded” and based on the challenges workers face.
Miñoza said the group advocates for a wage that aligns with the family living wage, supporting a national minimum wage of P1,200. She stressed the importance of allowing workers and their families to live decently.
Given that the region is in an election period, Miñoza noted that public attention is heightened.
“We are optimistic because there is already a clamor for it, and even the people themselves want a substantial wage increase,” she said.
The NGO conducted a consultative workshop with various workers in the region, including taxi drivers, delivery riders, factory workers, service sector workers, plantation workers, and vendors, to assess the daily needs of a family of five. They found that workers need at least P1,402.48 per day to meet basic living costs—far above the current P481 daily wage in the Davao Region.
Miñoza pointed out that the P1,402 estimate does not account for medical emergencies, school expenses, or other unforeseen costs.
“The only way to cope is to take on additional jobs. We have workers who juggle two to three other jobs, and many also resort to borrowing money. That has created a cycle of debt for workers,” she said.
Miñoza said that since the national wage of P1,200 is close to the P1,402.48 wage needed for a family of five, they are pushing for it to be implemented in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, former Davao City Councilor Pamela “Pameng” Librado-Morata remarked that gatherings like the consultative workshops raise public awareness about the problems individuals face in their sectors. She stated that through discussions at these events, people can share their commitments to protecting workers’ rights and their right to a living wage.
“I am positive that this forum will not just grant us the opportunity to engage and learn from one another, but also help strengthen our call, pakusgon og ipalanog atong panawagan nga mahimong P1,200 across the board ang minimum wage, sa maski asa pa ta nga rehiyon sa nasod (I’m confident that this forum will help us engage, learn from one another, and strengthen our call for a P1,200 minimum wage across all regions),” she said.
Following the workshop, the group plans to launch a campaign addressing inflation. Miñoza explained that without wage increases, inflation will continue to hurt workers.
The group is also advocating for price controls and better monitoring, announcing the formation of the “Rollback Network,” which will push for price reductions and encourage Local Government Units (LGUs) to enforce the Price Control Act.
Workers sentiments
Edwin Lag-at, a driver earning P586 a day, strongly supports the P1,200 minimum wage, citing rising costs for basic needs like groceries and healthcare.
“Nagataas nama gyud ang basic needs natu, bugas, mga grocery, sa health pa natu, wala na bagsak na daan, sa pag-eskwela pa sa mga bata wala na gyud so kinahanglan na gyud na walaon ang regional wage dapat national na gyud ta (With the cost of living going up—rice, groceries, and healthcare—regional wage scales need to go, and we need a national minimum wage),” he said.
Lag-at shared that his family struggles to make ends meet, forcing him to take on side jobs as a delivery rider and motorcycle taxi driver at night.
He believes a P1,200 wage would significantly help workers in the transportation and agricultural sectors, where daily earnings often fall short of the regional minimum wage.
Similarly, Arnold Cañedo, a motorcycle taxi driver, highlighted the need for wage increases to support his school-age children. His daily earnings fluctuate between P500 to P1,000, and he struggles to manage expenses like rent, loans, and rising fuel costs.
Cañedo supports the national wage increase, believing it would improve the lives of families like his.
Regional wage
The Regional Board for the Davao Region, through Wage Order No. RB XI-22 recently implemented the second wage adjustment for minimum wages in the region. This adjustment includes a P19 increase for private sector workers, raising the salary to P481 for non-agricultural workers and P476 for agricultural workers.
The first tranche of this increase took effect on February 13, 2024, with the wage adjustments planned in two stages, each adding P19 for agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
According to lawyer Randolf C. Pensoy, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment-Davao Region (Dole-Davao), the Davao Region was the last in the Philippines to implement this minimum wage adjustment. He noted that although the adjustment has been in effect since 2022, it is being introduced gradually to minimize the impact on both employers and employees. RGP
