A LABOR group said hunger eradication in the country will only be attained if the government will institutionalize the P750 national minimum wage.
Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) Secretary General Carl Olalo said the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey result that showed Filipino families experiencing "involuntary" hunger declined to 9.5 percent, or an estimated 2.3 million, in the first quarter of 2019 is unrealistic.
"Dili siya realistic. Kauban atong gi-release nila nga statistics sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) na P10,000 lang, enough na para mabuhi na ang matag pamilya," Olalo said.
He said the current increase of basic goods and services, which he attributed to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (Train), and the lack of employment opportunity in the country continue to be a social economic struggle in the country.
Olalo admitted, though, that increasing the minimum wage to P750 will have a huge impact on the business sector, considering that over 90 percent of businesses in the country are small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
"Mabawasan gamay nga porsyento ang ginansya sa mga employer kung mapatuman ang 750 national minimum wage, pero dako pa gihapon ang ilang kitaon," he said.
"Kinahanglan kana i-address sa administrasyon ni Presidente Rodrigo Duterte ang immediate relief nga wage kay nilayo na kita sa family living wage nga dapat P1,171 a day ang dapat kitaon matag mamumuo," Olalo added.
At present, the minimum wage in the Davao region is P396 per day for industrial rate and P391 per day for agricultural rate.
Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Commissioner Norman Baloro, meanwhile, said poverty, which could result in hunger, continues to be an existing problem due to lack of clear policy in addressing it.
"Meron tayo lack of basis or point of reference as to how many informal settlers we have, kaya tayo magkaroon ng clear policy for poverty alleviation, kaya di natin makita agad ang impact na ginagawa ng gobyerno," Baloro said.
He also said programs implemented by local government units would depend on the direction of a certain local chief executive, causing inconsistencies of programs for poverty alleviation.
Baloro said despite the problem, the Duterte administration has been consistent with its plan in uplifting the quality of life of every Filipinos.
"The president himself made a mechanism strategy for a whole government approach. He made sure that all government agency assigned to poverty alleviation will be merged in order to have a harmonization of all agencies to reach one direction," Baloro said.