THE pronouncement made by the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) that a family of five can live with a monthly income of P10,000 is seen to negatively affect the push for the wage increase in Western Visayas.
Wennie Sancho, labor representative to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Region 6, said the "misleading" statement of the Neda is untimely at a time when they are deliberating the issuance of Wage Order.
Sancho, also the secretary-general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (Gawa), said with such pronouncement, the government is pegging the daily wage at P333 only.
"This may directly and indirectly impact the decision of the RTWPB Western Visayas as well as those in other regions currently deliberating on the proposed wage hike in their respective area," he added.
Based on Neda's estimates, rice will constitute a huge portion of the P10,000 budget a month, at P959.
It forms part of the total food budget of a family totaling to P3,834 per month.
Among other expenses, another big contributor according to Neda's breakdown is the rentals on housing worth P1,288.
For labor groups in the country, however, the living standard for a Filipino family of five is P1,200 per day. Of which, a third or half goes to food expenses alone.
Sancho said they will not accept such estimates from the economic department.
The local labor sector is pushing for a P130 to P150 increase in Western Visayas depending on the worker's classification.
Under the petition filed by the Philippine Agricultural, Commercial, and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (Paciwu-TUCP) on January 22, a daily increase of P150 for non-agriculture, industrial, and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers is being sought.
For those with less than 10 employees, the proposed increase was pegged at P130.
Under the petition, agricultural plantations with an area of more than 24 hectares should provide a P140 daily increase.
Those with an area of less than 24 hectares, with P130 additional pay.
If approved, it will replace the current Wage Order No. 23 which already expired on March 16.
On Wednesday, members of the RTWPB-Western Visayas already conducted the first deliberation for the proposed wage increase.
However, no clear decision or consensus was reached yet so they scheduled another round of deliberation today.
"No definite amount agreed yet," Wage Board chairman Johnson Cañete told SunStar Bacolod after the deliberation.
For the labor sector, it would still be an uphill struggle.
"How I wish we could already come up with some thing. But as a collective body, I know how difficult it is for the Board to do a balancing act," Sancho noted.