Makabayan bets push for higher wages

MAKABAYAN coalition senatorial candidates Mimi Doringo and Teddy Casiño will push for higher wages for workers if they win in the May elections. In Townhall conducted by The Manila Times and DZRH, the two candidates were asked what they would push for to have a focus on for economic growth if they were elected. Doringo said in Filipino that "what we will do... is increase the pay of workers. And second, we must ensure that food will be sufficient for all Filipinos." She said she will also work to improve agricultural production. Casiño said that increasing workers' pay and supporting local agriculture were important. "It is really important to raise workers' pay because the economy will not grow if our citizens do not have money to buy a product," he said in Filipino. Casiño said workers' wages right now are "very small." Workers' wages should approximate what he called "living wage." He said that raising salaries would not only allow workers to buy more goods. They would also become more productive. "That is why, for us, wage increase is crucial in the issue of economic growth," Casiño said. Doringo said that the minimum wage should be raised. "If we increase the minimum wage, we use a standard rate that can make the economy grow," Casiño said. "But of course there should be an accompanying policy to ensure that what our workers will buy are Filipino products," he added. Earlier this month, the House of Representatives approved on second reading House Bill 11376, seeking a P200 increase in the minimum wage for workers in the private sector. The bill stated that as provided by the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) Act, BMBEs shall be exempted from the Minimum Wage Law's coverage. The same law exempts retail or service establishments employing not more than 10 workers and those "adversely affected by natural calamities or human-induced disasters." Last year, the Senate approved on third and final reading a bill to increase the minimum wage by P100.