Benise Balaoing

In a pre-Labor Day event, students and youth volunteers from the Akbayan Partylist staged a protest and solidarity walk along University Avenue in UP Diliman, Quezon City, on Wednesday, April 30, 2025. The youth group called for decent jobs, higher wages, and an end to contractualization, urging lawmakers to pass the proposed ₱200 across-the-board minimum wage hike and the Anti-Endo Law to protect workers’ rights. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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LABOR DAY- Wage HIke

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Deemed by some to be mere change or “barya”, the announced wage increase of P85 per day in Metro Manila received backlash from some labor groups and lawmakers on Tuesday.  ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said that the resulting amount is still far from a living wage for Filipinos. “Umaabot na ngayon sa P1,312 ang family living wage ang kailangan ng pamilya sa isang araw para mabuhay nang disente. Kaya po kung ma-implement nga nang buo itong NCR na P85 na dagdag, aabot lang ito sa P780,&quot; Tinio said.&quot;Nationwide, dahil iba-iba ang mga sweldo sa mga rehiyon, P510 lang po ang average na daily wage kaya napakalayo pa po sa nakabubuhay na sahod kahit pa may increase,” he told reporters after the House Committee on Labor &amp; Employment hearing on Tuesday.Tinio added that they will continue to push for a P1,200 minimum wage.Like Tinio and Akbayan party-list Representative Perci Cendaña, Kamanggagawa party-list Representative Elijah San Fernando showed opposition to how the increase will be done in two tranches, with the first at P60 and the second at P25.“Ang aming position dito ay barya na naman. ‘Yung P85, hindi nga ibibigay ng buo ay installment pa. Ito mismo ‘yung binabanggit ng mga manggagawa na hindi na talaga tumutugon ‘yung current wage setting mechanism natin sa pamamagitan ng regional wage board doon sa pangangailangan ng mga manggagawa,” San Fernando said.<div>‘SINISTER MOVE’ </div>Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO)’s Josua Mata called it a “sinister move” for the wage increase to be announced on the same day as the House labor panel’s hearing. Mata told Congress not to follow suit in implementing wage hikes in tranches like what was done for Metro Manila.“We see ‘yung move ng NCR wage board na isang sinister na move. Tiniming talaga na ito ay gawin, i-announce sa panahon na naghi-hearing ang labor committee,” Mata said.“This is the warning that we&#x27;d like to issue sa Kongreso. Ayaw naming makita na maging pattern ito kahit na doon sa batas na ilalabas ng Kongreso,&quot; Mata said.&quot;We are very, very concerned– ‘yung effort ngayon ng Committee of Labor na gusto nilang magkaroon ng mother bill tungkol sa wage increase ay mayroong isa doon na ang panawagan din ay tiyaniin ang pagbigay. We warn Congress from doing this,” she added.For Cendaña, the wage hike should not be exclusive to the National Capital Region.“Kung ito pong P85 na dalawang patak pala, dalawang hulog, can be granted to workers here in Metro Manila, the same should be granted to all workers across all regions. Tandaan po natin– hindi lamang sa Metro Manila nalulunod ang ating mga manggagawa sa mataas na presyo,” Cendaña said.Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Spokesperson Carlos Oñate criticized Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Francis Tolentino over his absence from the hearing meant to tackle bills on wage increase.“Kaya pala wala si Secretary Tolentino dito sa Kongreso kasi mas pinili po niya na ipagyabang pa ‘yung regional wage board. Nabudol po ang manggagawa kay Sec Tol. Historic daw ‘yung P85. ‘Yun pala hindi lang siya barya-barya dahil daan-daan na ang nawalang purchasing power sa ating mga manggagawa kundi utay-utay pang ibibigay,” Oñate said.Should the president choose not to declare the minimum wage bill a priority measure, he should be ashamed, according to Tinio.“Kung sa darating na SONA ay hindi pa idedeklara ni Pangulong Marcos na priority legislation ang bill para sa nakabubuhay na sahod, mahiya naman siya,” Tinio told reporters.

Deemed by some to be mere change or “barya”, the announced wage increase of P85 per day in Metro Manila received backlash from some labor groups and lawmakers.

Deemed by some to be mere change or “barya”, the announced wage increase of P85 per day in Metro Manila received backlash from some labor groups and lawmakers.

‘Barya-barya’: Labor groups, lawmakers slam P85 wage hike in Metro Manila

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‘Barya-barya’: Labor groups, lawmakers slam P85 wage hike in Metro Manila

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 30, 2026 03:57 PM PHT

Read More:

wage increase

dagdag-sahod

minimum wage

P85/day

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