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POPCOM chief seeks 'livable' minimum wage to ensure population development

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Wena Cos, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Members of Kilusang Mayo Uno call for raising the minimum wage amid rising prices of market goods in Quezon City on January 21, 2021. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/06/23/20210121-kmu-qmart-protest-md-7443.jpg"/><figcaption>Members of Kilusang Mayo Uno call for raising the minimum wage amid rising prices of market goods in Quezon City on January 21, 2021. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Outgoing Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM) Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III hopes that the next administration can raise minimum wage levels to make sure they are &quot;livable&quot;. &quot;What we have actually is not a living wage, minimum wage is far below a living wage right now. Baguhin lang &#x27;yung basis (Change the basis) for minimum wage: we should begin at the poverty threshold,&quot; Perez said on Thursday. By doing this, the country may be able to enjoy the demographic dividend, or a chance for economic growth as a result of a change in its population structure. The Philippines is in a unique position that can be taken advantage of in the next 10 years, according to Perez. He said with 63 percent of its population in a productive working age, the country is in a &quot;demographic-economic window of opportunity.&quot;&quot;The Philippines is expected to be the last major Asian economy to benefit from the demographic dividend between the years 2025-2070. If not properly addressed, the country would need to wait until at least 2050 to benefit from the demographic dividend, or possibly miss it altogether,&quot; the <a href="https://neda.gov.ph/neda-explainer-reaping-demographic-dividend/">National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)</a> said. Now that the Filipino women only have an average of 2 children, families are smaller and parents are better able to sustain them, creating opportunities to save, invest, and grow economically. This in turn will have a positive effect on each family&#x27;s spending power, and in turn the country&#x27;s economy.However, this can only happen if opportunities, needs, and support for Filipino families are met and addressed on a policy level that ensures employment for all Filipinos and adequate support for household incomes. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A family wearing face masks walk down a street inside a Muslim community in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City as they mark the end of Ramadan. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/file " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/05/24/20200524-eid-al-fitr-covid19-quarantine-gc-4766-s.jpg"/><figcaption>A family wearing face masks walk down a street inside a Muslim community in Barangay Culiat, Quezon City as they mark the end of Ramadan. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/file</figcaption></figure></div>&quot;Right now across regions, the minimum wage is below the poverty line. The PSA has determined that the average poverty threshold is around 12,000 pesos, yet it is only NCR that has a minimum wage that is above 12,000 for a family fo 5,&quot; Perez said. He recommended studying the existing wage law, to add the poverty threshold in determining wages and later even inflation, which can help close the gap of wages in the NCR and other regions. While workers across the country can enjoy a wage hike this June, a yawning gap still exists between Metro Manila rates at P570 and P533 to provincial rates which are between P300 to more than P400. Despite the hike, take-home wages at these rates are still below the poverty threshold of P12,082, <a href="https://psa.gov.ph/content/proportion-poor-filipinos-registered-237-percent-first-semester-2021">as determined by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)</a>.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/06/05/22/wage-hikes-in-14-regions-take-effect-this-june">Wage hikes in 14 regions take effect this June</a></li></ul>Education policies that lead to the enhancement of youth employment must also be improved, as well as policies that provide more opportunities and incentives for women to participate in the labor force. The incoming administration must also ensure the financial literacy education of a population with a growing number of older people whose income can be invested in the economy &quot;to generate an even greater dividend,&quot; Perez said.Perez had a successful run as POPCOM executive director wherein targets of lowering fertility rates and increasing the number of Filipinos who use family planning were met. But while issues on reproductive health and responsible parenthood have been addressed, other areas that will secure population development are left for the next administration to attend to. &quot;It&#x27;s levels of development. Maintenance &#x27;yung [sa] family planning. Adolescent health, we need to make it a national program, and population and development, policy area talaga &#x27;yun. [POPCOM] will continue to work in those three areas in the coming administration,&quot; Perez said. The country&#x27;s average population growth is at a stable 1 percent, but this must be maintained by continued support to reproductive health and family planning programs. <div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt=" Members of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network rally near the Malacanang Palace in support of Philippine President Benigno Aquino" s="" policy="" to="" Family="" Planning="" in="" Manila="" on="" October="" Jay="" AFP="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/05/19/20101001-reproductive-health-afp-1.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Members of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network rally near the Malacanang Palace in support of Philippine President Benigno Aquino&#x27;s policy to Family Planning in Manila on October 1, 2010. Jay Directo, AFP/file</figcaption></figure></div>POPCOM estimated that next year, 2.4 million women who use combined oral contraceptives will face a lack of supply due to budget constraints. While the Department of Health provides the supply, it may only be enough to cover half of women&#x27;s needs. Perez said POPCOM is in talks with the DOH and the Department of Budget and Management to forestall ay shortfall in supplies. If not given enough budget, the gains in reproductive health and family planning will take a hit; if half of these women do not get their contraceptives, an increase in unplanned and unintended pregnancies to about 140,000 additional births can be expected, according to the POPCOM chief.This will burden families financially, especially since women who use these pills mostly come from lower income classes, Perez said. Perez earlier called on the next administration to continue programs of POPCOM to ensure that the stable population growth is maintained, while protecting the lives and welfare of young women primarily affected by unplanned and unintended pregnancies. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/08/22/leaders-told-to-improve-population-programs-for-better-economic-recovery">Leaders told to improve population programs for better economic recovery</a></li></ul>Perez is confident that the next administration will see the value in prioritizing and investing in population development policies and programs. Part of the POPCOM BOC include representatives from the Department of Education and Department of Agriculture, which will be headed by the incoming vice president and president respectively. Vice President-elect Sara Duterte mentioned in her inaugural speech the importance of addressing the issue of teen pregnancy; an executive order that prioritizes the issue was issued by her father, outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte.&quot;I believe we have a good support within the cabinet for the program, that should be complimented by people in the legislature who will support the president&#x27;s agenda, which I believe the cabinet members will champion,&quot; Perez said. Perez will end his tenure as POPCOM Executive Director on June 30, as the new administration begins. The POPCOM Board of Commissioners (BOC) elected University of the Philippines (UPPI) Director Prof. Grace Cruz as POPCOM chair. Deputy Executive Director Lolito Tacardon will act as officer-in-charge of the commission when Perez steps down.

The next administration should create policies to secure economic development as the country experiences a population shift, the outgoing POPCOM chief said. 

POPCOM chief seeks 'livable' minimum wage to ensure population development

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POPCOM chief seeks 'livable' minimum wage to ensure population development

Wena Cos,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 23, 2022 05:16 PM PHT

Read More:

POPCOM

Commission on Population and Development

Juan Antonio Perez III

Doc Jeepy

minimum wage

living wage

BBM

Marcos Jr.

Bongbong

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