VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — Workers in Ilocos Sur are seeking a P90-to-P190 daily wage hike as rising prices and disaster losses strain family budgets.
Labor representative Catherine Pangan during the Oct. 8 public hearing aired their travails on coping with the economic challenges amidst meager wages workers receive.
Emerito Sanchez, Jr., a bus worker from Pangasinan, proposed a P112 increase, saying the current P505 daily minimum wage falls short of covering rent, schooling and other family needs.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) in the Ilocos Region gathered 107 workers, employers and stakeholders to discuss possible wage adjustment.
RTWPB-1 chair and DoLE-1 Regional Director Honorina Dian-Baga said the board would weigh workers’ concerns against economic data in setting wages.
The board will consolidate feedback from Vigan and Pangasinan, then hold hearings in Ilocos Norte and La Union ahead of a scheduled wage determination on Oct. 19-20. — Artemio A. Dumlao