MANILA, Philippines — Minimal wage earners throughout the nation can now buy rice at P20 per kilo following the nationwide growth of a authorities subsidy program aimed toward easing dwelling prices for low-income staff.
Collectively carried out by the Division of Agriculture (DA) and the Division of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the initiative supplies entry to rice sourced from shares bought by the Nationwide Meals Authority (NFA) from native farmers.
Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma stated extending this system to cowl minimal wage earners is predicted to enhance their buying capability.
“If a employee buys 10 kilos of rice at P20 per kilo, that interprets to a financial savings of P100 to P200—funds they will allocate for different important wants,” he stated.
Initially launched in Cebu on Could 1, this system is in its pilot section till December. Practically 120,000 staff from greater than 500 institutions are anticipated to learn within the early levels, with participation projected to develop as extra employers be a part of.
The initiative additionally targets different weak sectors resembling solo mother and father, senior residents, individuals with disabilities, and indigent households, aiming to help as many as 14 million Filipinos.
The Division of Agriculture has been directed to proceed and increase this system by way of the top of President Marcos time period in 2028.
President Marcos not in opposition to wage hike – Palace
President Marcos isn’t in opposition to wage improve as it will enhance the situation of Filipino staff, Malacañang stated yesterday.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the response when requested to touch upon critics’ declare that Marcos “killed” the proposed P200 across-the-board wage hike.
“Is the President a dictator? He’s not. Let’s simply go away that problem to Congress for now.And the President isn’t opposed to extend, wage hike, as a result of this may profit the employees,” Castro stated at a press briefing.
“The regional tripartite wages and productiveness board is finding out this, and in each area, in each place, our countrymen are seeing a rise of their salaries,” she stated.
Home spokesperson Princess Abante earlier blamed the Senate for “killing” the legislated wage hike invoice. Abante stated senators refused to convene a bicameral convention committee on the ultimate evening of the nineteenth Congress to resolve variations over wage hike quantities.
The Senate accepted final yr a P100 minimal wage improve for personal sector staff, whereas the Home pushed for a P200 hike.
Senate, Home commerce barbs
Senators yesterday blamed the Home of Representatives for the nineteenth Congress’ failure to move a legislated wage hike, saying the Home wasted the chance to alleviate staff’ plight.
“We’re again to sq. one. The Home of Representatives wasted that chance!” Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada stated in a Zoom interview with reporters yesterday.
Estrada stated the senators “did their analysis” when the labor committee carried out hearings on the sustainability of giving minimal wage earners a P100 improve, the Senate model handed final yr.
And but the Home refused to undertake the Senate model and insisted on its P200 improve model, which senators believed was susceptible to being vetoed by the President.
“We selected the P100 throughout the board improve final yr. The Home acted on this simply two days earlier than we adjourned sine die,” Estrada stated.
“It solely goes to point out the Home has no intention of adopting the Senate model. They need to not blame the Senate about what we handed a yr in the past that they didn’t act on,” he added.
The legislated wage hike was not among the many measures ratified over the last session day on June 11 earlier than sine die adjournment, following the standoff on which quantity the Congress will approve.
There was no bicameral convention committee held to reconcile the differing variations, with the Senate insisting that the Home ought to simply undertake the decrease quantity at P100 improve as a substitute of its P200 hike model.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, the current Senate labor committee chair, stated the Home “clearly set the stage to make sure the wage hike invoice’s failure.”
“It was useless on arrival due to the intransigence of some to have a measure that’s extra sensible and extra acceptable to all stakeholders,” Villanueva stated yesterday.
Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri – who steered the passage of the wage hike invoice when he was senate president – stated he’ll refile the invoice in the course of the subsequent twentieth Congress. He stated the Senate handed its P100 wage hike model on Feb. 19, 2024, whereas the Home accepted its P200 model a yr later, or on June 4. — Helen Flores, Marc Jayson Cayabyab