The labor sector in Western Visayas is facing a significant challenge in maintaining a decent standard of living due to the erosion of purchasing power caused by inflation, Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), said in a statement.
Despite efforts to address this issue, the current minimum wage remains insufficient to meet the basic needs of workers and their families, he said.
Sancho stressed that the cumulative inflation rate from 2018 to 2024 has resulted in a significant decrease in the workers purchasing power on workers’ wages. The current wage increase in Western Visayas which is around P481 to P513 per day for non-agricultural workers is not enough to restore the workers’ purchasing power to the 2018 levels. Index wages to inflation to ensure that wages keep pace with the rising cost of living.
The workers in the private sector must be provided with additional benefits and support such as housing assistance, education and health care to improve their overall well-being, he said.
Sancho urged the policy-makers and stakeholders to take immediate action to address the issue of eroded purchasing power. GAWA leadership declared that a wage increase is necessary so that the workers can maintain a decent standard of living and contribute to the region’s economic growth.
A wage increase of P100 to P200 per day is a reasonable and necessary step towards restoring the workers’ purchasing power.*
