Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan championed the cause of the Filipino workforce this Labor Day, calling for an urgent increase in the minimum wage for private-sector employees.
Highlighting the severe disparity between frozen salaries and the rising cost of living, the senator noted that global instabilities, specifically the tensions in the Middle East, have pushed household budgets to their limits.
Pangilinan argued that the current ₱695 daily minimum wage has become insufficient to cover the basic necessities of a typical family.
As fuel prices climb and inflation impacts essential services, he stressed that many Filipinos have reached a financial breaking point.
“Dahil sa krisis sa Gitnang Silangan, habang tumataas ang presyo ng gasolina at nilalamon ng pagkain at pamasahe ang halos buong badyet ng isang pamilya, wala nang ihihigpit pa ang sinturon.”
(“Because of the crisis in the Middle East, while gas prices rise and food and transportation expenses consume almost the entire budget of a family, there is no more room to tighten the belt.”)
The senator framed the wage adjustment not as a gift from employers, but as a fundamental requirement of social justice. He maintained that workers are simply asking for a fair share of the wealth generated by their own labor.
“Hindi naman hinihingi ang higit sa nararapat. Yung sakto lang para sa pangangailangan– sakto na makatao at makatarungang bahagi sa halagang nilikha ng dugo’t pawis ng Pilipino.”
(“We are not asking for more than what is deserved. Just what is enough for one’s needs—enough to be humane and a just share of the value created by the blood and sweat of the Filipino.”)
Beyond the immediate relief for families, Pangilinan emphasized the macroeconomic benefits of a wage hike. He explained that increasing the purchasing power of the working class stimulates the local economy, as the money spent on food, housing, and education circulates back into Philippine businesses.
“Kapag kumikita ng sapat ang mga Pilipino sa Pilipinas, umiikot ito sa ekonomiya ng bansa: Nakakabili ng mas maraming pagkain, nakakabyahe ng may dignidad paroo’t parito sa trabaho, nakakabayad ng upa sa oras, at napapanatili sa paaralan ang mga anak.”
(“When Filipinos earn enough in the Philippines, it circulates in the country’s economy: they can buy more food, travel with dignity to and from work, pay rent on time, and keep their children in school.”)
In addition to salary reforms, the senator called on the government to prioritize the creation of high-quality employment and to stabilize the costs of food and transport. He also advocated for a more equitable food supply chain to protect everyone from producers to consumers.
The call for a hike is backed by recent data from the IBON Foundation, which indicates that a family of five needs roughly ₱1,216 daily to live decently—nearly twice the current minimum wage provided in the National Capital Region.