P100 daily wage hike increase filed

Local

LABOR groups demanded a P100 daily wage increase to cushion the impact of rising fuel costs and persistent inflation.

Several labor organizations, led by Partidong Manggagawa and Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, formally filed a petition with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board Central Visayas on Friday, March 27.

The filing of the wage hike petition was made after labor groups staged a protest rally outside the Department of Labor and Employment-Central Visayas office.

Other petitioners included Globalwear Employees Union-Piglas Organization of Metrowear Employees for Genuine Advocacy, Progressive Labor Union of Hyde Sails MEPZA Workers Alliance, Workers Organization of Lami Foods, Prince Warehouse Club Mandaue Employees Union, and the National Union of Food Delivery Riders.

The labor groups said that rising global oil prices had increased transportation, logistics, electricity, and production costs, triggering a domino effect that pushed up the prices of basic goods and services.

They stressed that the current daily minimum wage of P500 to P540 no longer met the basic needs of workers and their families, as monthly incomes remained below the required subsistence level.

The petition highlighted that inflation in Cebu Province reached 8.0 percent year-on-year in February 2026, while Cebu City had 4.6 percent, Lapu-Lapu City recorded 6.9 percent, and Mandaue City 5.0 percent.

The bottom 30 percent income households faced even higher pressures, with Cebu Province showing 9.2 percent inflation, Cebu City with 4.5 percent, Lapu-Lapu City with 8.0 percent, and Mandaue City with 6.1 percent.

The labor groups argued that these figures confirmed the severity of the economic impact on the most vulnerable workers.

The petition cited that global oil supply disruptions, caused by geopolitical tensions and armed conflicts in the Middle East, had directly increased production and transportation costs.

Rising fuel prices were projected to push diesel, and water bills in Metro Cebu were set to increase by P23 per billing cycle effective April 1, 2026, due to a supplemental rate adjustment implemented by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District.

The petitioners explained that the current crisis created extraordinary circumstances not contemplated in existing wage orders, justifying an immediate wage review.

They proposed that the P100 daily wage increase cover all sectors, including non-agriculture and agriculture, service and retail establishments employing 15 workers or less, and small manufacturing industries regularly employing less than 10 workers.

They emphasized that granting the adjustment would restore lost purchasing power, stimulate local economic activity, and benefit small and medium enterprises, while fulfilling the constitutional mandate on living wages.(Kaiser Jan Fuentes)