Addressing concerns, wage adjustments
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday assured workers that the government is addressing their concerns, including wage adjustments, which will be thoroughly studied in light of its impact on businesses and the economy.
During the 123rd Labor Day celebration at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City, the President said the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB) will look at a possible wage hike amid calls for a P200 legislated salary adjustment by the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).
“Sa usapin naman ng pagtataas ng sweldo, masarap pakinggan ang mga matatamis na pangako. Ngunit ang mga ito ay may epekto sa paglago ng negosyo, trabaho at ekonomiya, kaya’t kailangan na pag-aralan natin ng mabuti (In terms of wage hike, it is nice to hear the sweet promises. But this impacts the growth of businesses, jobs and economy so we have to study this carefully),” Marcos said.
He noted that since June last year, the country’s 16 regional wage boards have approved and implemented 28 wage hikes.
He said the government also stands firm in its commitment to protecting and advancing workers’ welfare while promoting inclusive economic development.
“Nais nating tiyakin ang inyong kapakanan, hindi lamang sa ngayon kundi pangmatagalan (We want to ensure your welfare, not just for today but for all time),” he added.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) expects the RTWPB to start a review of current wages later this month.
The President also directed DOLE to conduct monthly job fairs to provide more Filipinos access to employment opportunities, especially in Regions III (Central Luzon), IV-A (Calabarzon), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), X (Northern Mindanao) and XI (Davao).
He congratulated the job fair participants, especially in Regions 3, 4A, 6, 7, 10, and 11.
Marcos said that since July 2022, over 4,000 job fairs had been conducted, which benefited over a million Filipinos, including 170,000 who were hired on the spot. He said the job fairs were held in 69 locations.
During the celebration, over 14,700 jobs were offered to job seekers at the SMX.
A one-stop shop was also opened that enabled job seekers to apply for the documentary requirements they need, an onsite mobile laboratory that offered x-ray and other lab tests to enable them to secure medical clearances, as well as ease the expenses of the job seekers.
The President also said the government’s active campaign to invite foreign and local investors to invest and boost job creation has resulted in over US$27 billion in investments from 2022 to 2024, while Investment Promotion Agencies reported over P4.35 trillion in total investments during the same period.
Marcos said these efforts have generated over 350,000 jobs nationwide and contributed to bringing down the unemployment rate to 4.3 percent – the lowest in two decades.
CPD LAW
During the event, the President also asked the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) and the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Council to review the CPD Act of 2016, or Republic Act No. 10912, which adds to the burden of some professional workers.
Marcos said he is aware of how difficult life is and does not want to add to the burden of the workers.
The CPD is a requirement for all licensed and registered professionals before they can renew their Professional Identification Cards issued by the PRC, which aims to continuously improve the competence of Filipino professionals through training, seminars, and workshops to renew their licenses.
The President said he agrees with the need for additional training and continuing education for professionals to bring them up to par with the world standards, but wants the law and its implementing guidelines revisited to balance professional development with accessibility and fairness.
Marcos also highlighted some of the government’s expanded social services and bold transport upgrades that aim to ease the daily burdens of Filipinos and ensure a dignified livelihood for them.
He said that among the programs and measures implemented by the government are the extended operating hours for Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3) on weekdays, improved air-conditioning systems, escalators, and elevators across train lines, and the increased Light Rail Transit-2 (LRT-2) train coaches.
He said the government is also currently constructing the MRT-7, the North-South Commuter Railway, Metro Manila Subway, and the EDSA Busway Improvement Project, among others, which aim to speed up and provide more convenient daily commutes to passengers, especially the workers.
He also ordered the free rides on MRT-3, LRT-1, and LRT-2 from April 30 to May 3 to honor the workers.
The President said the government, through the DOLE, is implementing the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) and, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development, it is implementing the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), which has benefitted 11 million Filipinos with emergency employment and 21 million others with government subsidy for transportation, and health, among others.
He said 740,000 individuals also benefited from the Sustainable Livelihood Program of DSWD, which provided startup capital for small businesses.
Marcos said the implementation of the maximum suggested retail price of P45 per kilo for imported rice; a rollout to lower rice prices to P20 per kilo; and the establishment of 119 permanent Kadiwa centers nationwide and the integration of Kadiwa stores in National Housing Authority (NHA) developments also benefitted not just the workers but also their families and the members of the vulnerable sector.
The President said his administration also promoted and protected the labor and human rights of workers with the conduct of over 90,000 labor inspections from July 2022 to March 2025 to ensure safe workplaces, fair wages, and proper treatment of workers.
AYUDA AND LOANS
Marcos said the Social Security System is implementing lower interest rates on salary and calamity loans starting July 2025.
SSS members with clean records can avail of an eight percent interest rate on salary loans and a seven percent interest rate on calamity loans, down from 10 percent.
The President said the SSS would also launch in September the Expanded Pension Loan for surviving spouse pensioners, which would enable them to apply for a loan of up to P150,000.
Marcos said the SSS is also coordinating different financial institutions to set up a micro-credit loan facility that aims to provide the immediate financial needs of its members.
He said the SSS loan programs are not just for Filipino workers in the country but also for members who are working abroad.
He said OFWs and their families can also avail of the Aksyon Fund program under the Department of Migrant Workers, which has already released around P1.4 billion that has benefited 135,000 overseas workers.
As this developed, the labor department said it has released over P2.57 billion in assistance nationwide under its DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILEEP) and TUPAD program, which benefited 406,781 Filipinos.
A total of 1,170 Kadiwa stores were also opened nationwide to bring affordable products and fresh goods closer to workers on Labor Day.
In Davao, mayoralty candidate Karlo Nograles vowed to uplift the lives of Dabawenyos through better worker protection, upskilling, and higher-paying employment.
“We will build a city where our workers don’t just survive—they thrive,” Nograles said.
He said that to achieve this, he plans to – if he wins – implement a city-led Upskilling and Advancement Program, which will offer free training in high-demand industries in partnership with TESDA, local universities, and private sector partners.
He said the program will focus on helping underemployed and low-income workers qualify for more stable, better-paying jobs.
Nograles also committed to create a workers help desk under city hall to respond quickly to labor concerns, coordinate with DOLE and national agencies, and strengthen the enforcement of labor rights. Informal and contract workers will also be given greater access to social protection.
WAGE BOARDS
The DOLE defended the reliance of the President on RTWPBs in addressing calls for a pay hike by the labor sector.
In an interview at the sidelines of the 2025 Labor Day celebration in Pasay City, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma said he agrees with Marcos not to leave the wage adjustment process in the hands of lawmakers.
“We want to insulate this issue from getting politicized. We don’t want the wage determination process to be politicized,” said Laguesma.
“When that happens, sometimes, the welfare of companies, especially the MSMEs, is being disregarded,” he added.
He said the government won’t get in the way of the lawmakers if they want to pass a legislated wage hike.
“The Executive department respects the authority and the mandate of Congress in passing laws,” said Laguesma.
He assured the public that when such a bill is passed, the Executive department will carefully evaluate the measure.
“If a law is submitted to the Office of the President, we will extensively assess the matter,” said Laguesma.
In a separate interview, DOLE-NCR Director Sarah Buena Mirasol said the NCR wage board will start the wage review process by the middle of May.
“We will have the labor and employer consultation this May, then the public hearing in June,” said Mirasol.
She said they are looking to come out with a decision sometime in July.
“If ever, we will have it after the anniversary date (of July 17),” said Mirasol.
LIVING WAGE ISSUE
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is eyeing the creation of an Executive-Legislative Labor Commission that would collectively pursue a sustainable solution to the living wage issue.
In a statement, Cayetano said the proposed commission will bring together representatives from the Executive branch, Congress, micro, small, and medium enterprises; trade and industry, and the labor sector that will provide a comprehensive study at what the real wage should be, taking into account the actual expenses of a family.
“Not only will this bring us closer to realizing the just and humane society envisioned by our Constitution, it will also help the endless stream of Filipinos who are forced to leave their homes and families for what they hope would be greener economic pastures continue,” Cayetano said.
Cayetano said he got the idea to create the commission from the Congressional Commission on Education, as it was able to successfully bring together key stakeholders and produce effective, concrete, and actionable recommendations to address the country’s learning crisis.
He said that since wage increase has always been an issue during the commemoration of Labor Day, the commission intends to end the “endless, paralyzing cycle of debates” by finding just and humane solutions to labor and wages issues.
“This would provide a comprehensive look at what the real wage should be, taking into account the actual expenses of a family for education, health, among others,” he added.
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros renewed her call for Malacañang to certify as urgent the passage of the wage increase before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die on June 13.
“Kapag natapos ang 19th Congress nang hindi naipapasa ang wage hike bill, back to zero na naman po ang trabaho dito (The work on the proposed wage hike bill will be back to square one if this is not passed in the 19th Congress),” Hontiveros said.
The Senate, in February last year, passed a bill to increase the minimum daily wage to P100 across the board, while the House of Representatives’ proposal of P200 daily minimum wage is still pending.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said he is continuously pushing for the passage of Senate Bill No. 2493 or the Revised Magna Carta for Public School Teachers, which seeks to amend the 58-year-old RA 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers.
He said the amended version of the Magna Carta seeks to institutionalize teachers’ benefits, including calamity leave, educational allowances, and longevity pay, and eyes to enhance the salary criteria for teachers to protect them from out-of-pocket expenses, and guarantee that salaries, benefits, and working conditions of probationary teachers shall be the same or not less favorable than those of entry-level ones.
He added that the proposed measure also varies the assignment of non-teaching tasks to teachers and seeks to reduce the hours of classroom teaching from six to four hours.
‘LASTING CHANGE’
Speaker Martin Romualdez said Labor Day is not just about honoring Filipino workers but “about delivering real, lasting change to improve their lives.”
The House leader cited the measures approved by the House to uplift the lives of workers, saying the President’s instruction is for the House to turn the respect for workers “into results and ensure that every Filipino who works hard has a government that works just as hard in return.”
“These are not empty gestures. These are real laws with real impact: more security, more opportunity, and more dignity,” he said, initially citing the passage of the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, a national roadmap that aligns skills with real jobs.
Some of the other pro-workers measures cited by the Speaker were the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, which erases over ₱57 billion in land debt for more than 600,000 farmers; the free legal aid for our uniformed personnel under Republic Act No. 12177; the Welfare of Caregivers Act and the Eddie Garcia Law, which seeks to protect workers in the entertainment industry; increasing service incentive leaves from 5 to 10 days; laws that protect freelancers from non-payment, provide media workers with benefits, and require personal finance education in the workplace; strengthening protections for the right to organize; and institutionalizing TUPAD, the emergency employment lifeline for displaced and disadvantaged workers.
Former Sen. Manny Pacquiao, who is eyeing a comeback under the administration’s “Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas” senatorial slate, has been advocating for a nationwide P200 daily wage increase for private sector workers, calling it both “a moral and economic imperative to help Filipino families cope with the rising cost of living.”
“Hindi pwedeng laging sagad ang manggagawa habang lumalaki ang kita ng malalaking kumpanya. Ang tunay na malasakit ay makikita sa sahod, hindi lang sa salita (It’s unacceptable for workers to always be at the losing end while big companies continue to reap huge profits. Real compassion can be seen in wages, not in mere lip-service),” he said.
During a recent campaign stop in Tacloban, Pacquiao presented a legislative agenda centered “on equitable wage reform and alternative governance models aimed at delivering real, lasting change for ordinary Filipinos.”
Pacquiao also vowed to author and support legislation that will institutionalize wage boards at the provincial level to reflect regional economic realities, mandate periodic cost-of-living adjustments, and introduce incentives for small businesses that comply with fair wage practices.
Pacquiao also proposed tax breaks and access to credit for micro and small enterprises that provide above-minimum wages and secure employment benefits.
The former boxing champion said his commitment to labor rights is rooted in his personal experiences, recalling that at the tender age of 14, he had to move to Manila where he lived in the streets, worked as a construction worker and endured hunger to be able to send money to his mother.
“My job when I was 15 years old, when I didn’t have a house to live in, was a construction worker for 106 pesos per day. I know what it is to be in need,” Pacquiao said.
Former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., also an Alyansa senatorial bet, said the current tax exemption threshold of P250,000 annually under the 2018 TRAIN Law “must be reevaluated based on present economic conditions.”
“We need to increase the income tax exemption threshold, because the current rate no longer reflects the economic realities faced by Filipino workers. Ang taas ng bilihin. Ang kuryente natin pangalawa sa pinakamahal sa Timog Silangang Asya (The prices of goods are too high. Our electricity rates are the second highest in Southeast Asia),” he said.
Under the TRAIN Law, individuals earning P250,000 or less yearly, along with minimum wage earners, are exempt from paying income tax and 13th month pay and bonuses up to P90,000 are also tax-free. – With Gerard Naval, Raymond Africa, and Wendell Vigilia
