P50 NCR wage hike a progress, but long-term reforms needed: Villanueva
- humanrightspromotion
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
From the Website of PNA NEWS
P50 NCR wage hike a progress, but long-term reforms needed: Villanueva
MANILA – Senator Joel Villanueva on Thursday said the PHP50 wage adjustment signals
progress but underscored the need for structural reforms that would guide regional wage boards using updated, region-specific cost-of-living data.
“We welcome the good news for our workers in Metro Manila. But beyond legislated wage hikes, the proposed Living Wage Act will provide a more lasting and rational standard for determining minimum pay,” Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, said in a news release.
Filed as part of Villanueva’s priority legislation for the 20th Congress, the Living Wage Act seeks to amend the Labor Code to ensure that minimum wages meet “living wage standards” that support nourishment, shelter, clothing, education, and health for workers and their families.
The bill would authorize regional wage boards to "proactively review" and set wage levels based on an official formula estimating the cost of living for an average family in each region, rather than rely solely on petitions from labor groups.
Current wage-setting mechanisms often fail to address economic disparities across regions, Villanueva said, particularly in remote provinces where infrastructure gaps and limited business activity result in significantly lower wages.
“We’re aware that wage levels in far-flung areas can’t be equal to those in urban centers. But with a standard formula anchored on the living wage, we can at least guarantee that what workers receive is enough for a dignified life,” he said.
The bill also aligns with the constitutional mandate for a living wage and supports the International Labour Organization’s standard, which defines it as the amount needed to afford a decent life for workers and their families, based on national circumstances.
Legislating a living wage, Villanueva added, would mark a shift from a subsistence-based model to a "rights-based and inclusive labor policy" —one that affirms the dignity and value of the Filipino worker. (PNA)
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