MANILA — Because of the continuous rise in the prices of basic commodities, the need for a wage hike is “imperative,” Special Assistant to the President Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said Friday.
When asked to comment on calls of labor groups to implement an across-the-board wage hike, the presidential aide said he would “let the Department of Labor and Employment assess the issue,” and called on the labor department to “carefully review increasing wages to compensate the current conditions in each region.”
Lawmakers filed a bill in May 2018 seeking a fixed PHP750 minimum wage across all regions.
“Kailangan nating sumahod nang tapat kung magkano bilihin ngayon (We all need to earn a salary that is equal to the price of commodities today),” he said in a media interview in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte.
Go added that the regional wage boards are now in the review stage for wage hike within their respective areas.
“The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) are still reviewing this. It depends on the consideration of the RTWPBs. They are expected to consider the present socio-economic condition. They will also identify the indicators to assess the necessity of a wage hike,” Go said in Filipino. (Joyce Ann L. Rocamora/PNA)
