CEBU, PHILIPPINES — Labor and management representatives took opposing positions on a proposed P100 across-the-board wage increase during a meeting of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas (RTWPB-7) on Monday, May 25, with labor groups arguing that rising prices already warrant a wage adjustment while employers maintained that government, not businesses, should address the crisis.
Antonio Cuizon, labor representative to the wage board, said the board discussed the petition filed by a coalition of labor organizations seeking a P100 wage increase for workers in Central Visayas.
Cuizon said RTWPB-7 is currently gathering economic data from the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DepDev), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to determine the basis for possible wage deliberations.
“Base sa atong sitwasyon, dunay supervening events base sa Republic Act 6727 kung dunay kusog nga pagsaka sa presyo sa gasolina ug tanang palitonon. Supervening events siya nga pwede ang Regional Wage Board mo-open sa pag-discuss kung makahatag ba og increase,” Cuizon said.
He said labor groups believe the continued increase in fuel prices and basic commodities has significantly eroded workers’ purchasing power.
“We are asking them to provide documents para maka-argue ang labor. We stand for the supervening events nga grabe ang pagsaka sa mga palitonon gawas sa atong lana, nisaka tanan,” he added.
Labor groups, Cuizon said, are standing firm on their demand for a P100 across-the-board wage increase, while management representatives initially rejected any adjustment.
“Ang management ganina, zero. Reaction nila kay no to increase,” he said.
According to Cuizon, management representative Philip Tan argued during the meeting that many businesses are also struggling under the current economic climate and may no longer be able to absorb additional labor costs.
“Nangayo sila nga ang gobyerno moabuno kay dili man kuno nila makontrol ang ingon aning presyo. Sila usab igo sa crisis,” Cuizon said.
The wage board has scheduled additional meetings on June 16 and June 25 to continue discussions and gather more economic data and supporting documents.
Cuizon said BSP, NEDA and DTI are expected to submit updated information on inflation, gross domestic product (GDP), and the economic condition of workers in Central Visayas.
“Among tan-awon kung makatak-op pa ba ang purchasing power sa wage earners ug maka-survive pa ba sila,” he said.
He added that if the wage board formally decides to reopen wage discussions due to “supervening events,” public consultations across Central Visayas must first be conducted before any wage order can be issued.
“Mag-schedule pa og public consultation sa tibuok Region 7 if ma-open ang wage discussion,” he said.
In a separate interview, Tan clarified that employers oppose the petition because they believe the current economic crisis should be addressed by government interventions rather than being borne solely by private businesses.
“The government is not supporting the problem with the wages sa among labor.
Nganong kami man nga management ang mosuporta ana nga wa man silay mahimo?” Tan said.
Tan stressed that management is not against workers but is opposed to placing the burden entirely on employers amid prevailing economic difficulties.
“That is the problem of government, not the problem of management,” he said.
He added that businesses are likewise struggling under present economic conditions and questioned why employers are often blamed for wage concerns.
“There is a failure of government,” Tan said.
Meanwhile, labor organizations in the region are urging RTWPB-7 to immediately act on their pending wage hike petition, arguing that further delays are no longer justified after the board chairman reportedly acknowledged the existence of a supervening event affecting the region’s economic conditions.
The petition, filed on March 27 by a coalition of 18 labor groups, remains pending, with no public hearing or consultation yet scheduled in Central Visayas, according to labor leader Dennis Derige.
“Last Friday, naa daw public consultation sa NCR. Kita man nauna diri sa Cebu og file pero diri wala pa gyud. Sige lang daw silag meeting,” Derige said, noting that workers in the region continue to wait for formal proceedings to begin.
He argued that the recognition of a supervening event—an extraordinary circumstance that allows wage reviews outside the usual one-year restriction period—should have already triggered substantive discussions on the proposed adjustment rather than further debate on whether the review process should commence.
“No need na to decide kung kinahanglan sugdan ang proseso. Ang public hearing mahimo nalang para pangutan-on unsay panginahanglan sa workers ug posisyon sa ubang sectors,” he said.
The labor coalition cited rising fuel prices, inflation and other economic pressures as sufficient grounds for immediate action, saying these conditions continue to diminish workers’ purchasing power.
“Wala man nius-us ang gasolina. Inflation nisaka pud,” Derige said, adding that global market trends suggest no immediate relief in prices.
Labor groups also called on RTWPB-7 Chairperson and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-7 Regional Director Atty. Roy Buenafe to expedite the process and conduct the required hearings without further delay.
Buenafe earlier said the petition would be addressed urgently, citing the existence of a supervening condition.
“The situation we face now is extraordinary and cannot be treated as ordinary. We are committed to ensuring the urgent needs of workers and their families are addressed without waiting for the usual procedural timelines,” he said on March 27 when the petition was filed.
The petitioners include labor federations and sectoral unions representing employees in manufacturing, logistics, mining, food services and delivery platforms. They stressed that inflation in Central Visayas remains among the highest in the country, with the costs of food, transportation, electricity and water continuing to rise.
The coalition maintained that an emergency wage adjustment is necessary to preserve workers’ purchasing power and prevent further economic hardship.
| Written by Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/FPL
