Family living wage for a family of five members in NCR

April 14, 2019

“The choice of official poverty lines is a political one. Setting a high standard indicates the government having a high level of ambition for poverty eradication. Government, however has chosen to set a low standard – in this case, the Php10,481 per month or Php69.87 per day poverty threshold – which results in tens of […]

Lower official poverty estimates don’t mean less poor Filipinos — IBON

April 10, 2019

Research group IBON said lower reported official poverty estimates for the first semester of 2018 unfortunately do not necessarily mean that the country’s poverty situation is improving. The group observed that standard of living allowed by the official poverty line is very low and grossly underestimates the real number of poor Filipinos. Unless corrected, it […]

Php750 National Minimum Wage Possible

November 7, 2018

Be bold enough to implement a meaningful wage hike, gov’t told

November 7, 2018

The new National Capital Region (NCR) minimum wage is still way below the amount that a family needs to cope with continuously rising prices, research group IBON said. The paltry increase reflects government’s refusal to institute a meaningful wage hike despite its urgency and doability. Government should instead have ordered employers to give a substantial […]

Worker productivity goes to profits, not wages

October 26, 2018

“A large wage hike is also justified by growing worker productivity. Between 2009 and 2017, labor productivity in NCR grew by 35% from Php456,059 per worker to Php614,297. However, that same period, the real value of the mandated minimum wage only increased by 11% and of ADBP by 16%, both measured in real terms at […]

Substantial wage hike possible in NCR

October 26, 2018

“NCR firms have more than enough profits to support a Php238 minimum wage hike. The latest data from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry (ASPBI) reports that NCR firms (with 20 and over employees) had combined profits of Php903 billion in 2015 while giving an average daily basic pay […]

The NCR Minimum Wage vs The Family Living Wage (September 2018)

October 17, 2018

Minimum Wage Insufficient

September 6, 2018

The National Capital Region (NCR) daily minimum wage with Php30 Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) totaling Php512 is not enough for a family of five members to be able to afford their basic needs. The minimum wage in the rest of the country’s regions is set at even lower levels.

Rice tariffication to impoverish Filipino farmers more, Congress warned

August 4, 2018

Research group IBON raised concern over the current move by the House of Representatives (HOR) to lift the quantitative restrictions (QR) on rice imports and instead apply a 35% tariff on unlimited rice importation. This will practically decrease farmgate prices, said IBON, but not necessarily lower retail rice prices as government claims. Rice prices have […]