A wage hike is urgent and can bring much-needed relief as the costs of food and utilities continue to increase. With unchanged inflation, consumers continue to feel the pressure of rising prices as wages and incomes remain low and insufficient.
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The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that January 2025 inflation stayed at 2.9%, the same as December 2024. This is a slight increase from the 2.8% inflation rate in January 2024, but much lower than the 8.7% high in January 2023.
In the NCR, the prices of vegetables, fish, and meat rose by Php8 to Php51/kg, with the exception of tomatoes which shot up by Php84/kg from Jan 2024 to the same month in 2025. Regular milled rice registered negative inflation but remained expensive at Php45/kg.
Filipinos’ wages and incomes are not enough to contend with the rising cost of living. On average across all regions, the nominal minimum wage of Php469 is Php762 below the Php1,231 FLW.
A substantial wage hike is urgently needed in the face of prevalently low incomes and rising prices. The recent House Committee on Labor and Employment-approved Php200 across-the-board wage hike is an initial step that can alleviate struggling wage earners and their families.
Higher wages will enable households to spend more in local communities, creating a multiplier effect that benefits small businesses and the informal sector.
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