House sets to tackle bill on wage hike

The House of Representatives, upon resumption of its sessions next week, would take up for second reading a bill proposing for a P125 across-the-board wage increase.

This was disclosed yesterday by Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Roselier Barinaga (2nd dist.), House labor committee chairman, who is the author of the bill.

Barinaga, in an interview over DyLA radio, said he actually filed the bill five years ago but this was not acted upon. He then refiled it in the present 13th Congress where his committee had endorsed it already for plenary deliberation.

Barinaga said his bill has been slated for second reading and this has a greater chance of being approved especially after President Gloria Arroyo asked Congress to work for a legislated wage increase.

"Dako kaayo ang posibilidad, labi pa og i-certify as urgent (There is a big possibility, more so if the president certifies this as urgent)," Barinaga said, adding that the wage hike would help greatly the Filipino families who are now reeling from the impact of the Reformed Value Added Tax.

However, the congressman admitted that the P125 across-the-board wage increase is not enough to help cope up with the needs of a family of six, the ideal minimum daily income of which should be P681.

Barinaga belittled the business sector's warning that a wage hike might force the closure of some establishments, or that this might create inflation. "If the increase is taken from the profit dili na mo-create og inflation," he said.

Cebu Rep. Simeon Kintanar (2nd dist.), on the other hand, told The FREEMAN that he is for increasing the wages but it should not be done through Congress.

Kintanar yesterday said he maintained that the better way to hike the minimum daily pay is through the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board.

"The cost of living in Manila is different from here in Region 7, and a uniform increase such as the P125 across-the-board bill is not feasible," he said, adding that the needs of every region vary from each other.

Rene Soriano, of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, agreed with Kintanar contending that the tripartite body is composed of representatives of various sectors that know fully the needs of the workers of a particular region. - Fred P. Languido and Ferliza C. Contratista