Legarda Calls for Humane Living Wage for Filipino Workers

Senator Loren Legarda called for a humane living wage for all Filipino workers, emphasizing the disparity between minimum wage and the actual cost of living.

In the briefing of the proposed 2025 budget of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Legarda emphasized the urgent need for wage reforms to align with the reality faced by Filipino families and workers on the ground.

“The statistics we see on paper do not align with reality,” Legarda commented following the DOLE report on the country’s employment statistics, where they noted that based on the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) definition on employment, an individual is considered employed if they have worked at least one hour during the reference period of the Labor Force Survey. “Napakaluwag ng batayan na ito. Individuals are already considered employed if they have worked for at least one hour during the survey period, which doesn’t reflect the actual state of employment in the country. Ang gusto nating malaman ay ang totoong estado ng bansa. Ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga Pilipino,”she added.

The four-term Senator urged the DOLE and the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), in coordination with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), to conduct a more realistic survey that includes those who have lost hope, those who are not actively seeking work, and the poorest of the poor who are often excluded from surveys. “Pwede tayong gumawa ng sarili nating batayan sa pagsukat ng employment and unemployment rate. We need a clear picture of those in desperate situations so we can create and provide proper interventions and programs for them,” Legarda stressed.

The Senator also expressed concern over the report released today by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which showed a notable rise in the unemployment rate to 4.7%, or 2.38 million unemployed Filipinos, as of July 2024. This is a significant increase from the 3.1% unemployment rate recorded by the agency just a month earlier in June 2024.

Legarda has championed numerous laws focused on enhancing livelihoods and employment opportunities for Filipinos, including the PESO Act, JobStart Philippines Act, and the Barangay Livelihood and Skills Training Act of 2008. In the current Congress, she co-authored and co-sponsored the Php 100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2024, which seeks to increase by Php 100 the daily rate of all minimum wage workers in the private sector, regardless of employment status, including those in contractual and sub-contractual arrangements, whether agricultural or non-agricultural.

“The current minimum wage does not adequately meet the basic needs of our people, and it is time for us to address this long-standing issue. A person’s wage must be enough to provide for their family, afford decent housing, food, and healthcare, and meet other basic needs. A humane wage is not just about numbers — it’s about dignity, fairness, and ensuring a decent standard of living for every Filipino,” said Legarda.

“While we have made significant strides in job creation, we must continue to address underemployment, the quality of jobs, and the need for more inclusive economic growth. We cannot ignore the struggles of our people. They deserve a wage that honors their hard work and dedication. As public servants that they chose to lead them, it is our moral obligation to protect their dignity and create a future where they don’t just survive but thrive and progress together with the country,” Legarda concluded.#