By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
A business group in Bacolod City is against the proposal for the P150 across-the-board wage increase for workers in agriculture and private sectors.
In a radio interview yesterday morning, Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), said that due to the worsening inflation, the Congress is considering implementing a P150 wage hike for all employees.
Carbon mentioned that salary increases have already been implemented in other parts of the country, such as Cebu and Manila.
The local wage board in Western Visayas is also calling for a wage increase.
However, Carbon anticipates that if Congress proceeds with the proposal and approves the request of the local wage board, the wage increase could reach as much as P250.
Aside from the increase, he pointed out that it would also affect employers’ expenses for mandatory government benefits, such as Social Security System contributions and other payables deducted from the employees’ salary.
Carbon said employers are already struggling from the effects of inflation, which not only affect the Philippine economy, but also in other countries.
He also pointed out that employers also endure the effects of high oil prices and other factors that affect the economy.
The MBCCI head further added that due to the current situation, the business sector is already looking at a “blue Christmas” this year.
Senate Bill 2002, or the Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023, was filed in March.
The bill aims to increase wages by P150 nationwide.
A separate bill in the House of Representatives was also filed, proposing a P750 daily wage increase.
According to the IBON Foundation, the current minimum wage rate in Western Visayas, as of May of 2023, is at P450 a day.
The living wage for a family of five is P976 per day.
However, several business groups have called on the lawmakers to reconsider the proposal.
They have warned that it could further lead to much higher inflation and would become harmful for both business and the economy./DGB, WDJ