A Church-based labor rights group has denounced the recent ₱50 daily wage increase in Metro Manila as grossly inadequate, describing it as a failure to respond meaningfully to the economic needs of Filipino workers.
In a statement issued on June 30, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos, chairperson of the Church People–Workers Solidarity (CWS), said the decision of the National Capital Region (NCR) Wage Board to raise the daily minimum wage to ₱695 for non-agricultural workers and ₱658 for agricultural workers offers little relief amid rising costs of living.
“While any wage hike reflects hard-fought advocacy by labor groups, we lament that this increase is grossly inadequate,” Bishop Alminaza said.
He stressed that the wage hike “falls far short of what workers urgently need” and argued that it “does not come close to a ‘recovery wage,’ let alone the living wage that is just and humane.”
“In the face of persistent inflation, rising fuel prices, and the worsening cost of living, this increase is insultingly insufficient,” he said. “Workers and their families deserve wages that allow them to live decently—not merely survive.”
The bishop reiterated the Church group’s support for the proposed ₱1,200 Living Wage Bill filed by ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Renee Co. He said the measure would be a “concrete step toward economic justice,” enabling families to meet basic needs with dignity.
According to Bishop Alminaza, research by IBON Foundation shows that a family of five in Metro Manila now needs ₱1,217 per day, or ₱26,479 per month, to live decently. “A living wage is not a luxury; it is a moral obligation, rooted deeply in the teachings of our faith and in Catholic Social Teaching,” he added.
Quoting Pope Francis, the bishop said, “A truly just economy must be based on respect for the dignity of the human person and ensure the conditions for a dignified life through work: fair wages, security, rest, and access to education and healthcare.”
He urged the Marcos Jr. administration and lawmakers to heed the call of the labor sector. “Let us move beyond tokenism. Let us uphold the dignity of labor through just and meaningful reforms,” he said.
“We stand in solidarity with all workers in their rightful call for a living wage—a wage that reflects their contribution to our nation, respects their humanity, and restores their hope,” Bishop Alminaza said.
