ALU seeks P162-hike in daily wages

By LITO RULONA
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents .

THE prices of food and basic commodities are really beginning to hurt and this early, the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) is contemplating on asking the government to increase the minimum salary in northern Mindanao, less than a year after it sought a P78aise in daily wages. Now, the Union wants a P162-increase in Region 10.

Lawyer Nicandro Borja, ALU-TUCP vice president for northern Mindanao, said the union cannot wait any longer to demand another round of wage increase given the spiraling prices of almost everything.

There is a rule that organized workers can file a petition for an increase in minimum wage only a year after its previous petition. Last year, ALU-TUCP sought a P78-increase in the minimum daily wage but only P21 was given.

But ALU-TUCP said the purchasing power of workers has significantly diminished and their take-home pay is no longer enough even if they tightened their belts.

Now, ALU-TUCP wants the minimum wage in Region 10 increased from P338 to P500 a day.

There is no hiding the price increases. At the Carmen market, for instance, the price of the erstwhile poor man’s fish galunggong (blackfin scad) shot up by an average P20 per kilogram or from P80 to P100 while the lowly tamban (herring) can be bought for P40 a kilo from its previous price of P30. At a subdivision in Opol town in Misamis Oriental, a fish dealer going from one house to another now sells galunggong by as much as P160 from his price of P120 a kilo last month.

Ian Laray, a fish vendor, said the lack of supply also aggravated the situation and helped push the fish prices up.

“Gamay ra ang nanagat, kay bulanon ug gamay ra ang supply ma-o nang mimahal ang presyo sa isda,” Laray said.

The prices of milk also dramatically increased. For instance, the average price of a 300-ml Alaska evaporated milk is now now P54.50 from P51. The same volume of Milkmaid now carries a price of P67 from the previous P63.30.

“Mahal na gyud, taga li-og na ang presyo sa mga baligya,” complained 81-year old marketgoer Francisco Sinabuen, noting that the price increases average at least 10 percent or even more.

After buying fish at Carmen market, Domingga Cabingue, 61, of Macanhan, ranted: “Halos dili na makaya ang pagsaka sa presyo sa mga palaliton karon.”

Pork and beef prices also increased as well as vegetables.

A kilo of potatoes at the Carmen market last month  was priced at P30. Now, it is P40. Onions there can be bought for P90 a kilo from the last month’s price of P70.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) noted the increases in the prices of many grocery items in the city based on its May 25 data.

Almer Masillones, officer-in-charge of the DTI provincial office, said among the commodities with increased prices monitored include coffee, soap, instant noodles, bread, iodized salt, candles, bottled water, flour, and processed pork and beef.

Masillones attributed the price increases to the higher manufacturing costs.

All fingers are pointed to the Duterte administration’s Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law (Train) which the government sees as a “comprehensive tax reform program… which seeks to to correct a number of deficiencies in the tax system to make it simpler, fairer, and more efficient.”

“Mao na kini karon ang epekto sa Train Law and the unregulated increases in the prices of petroleum products. Apil na niini ang increase sa prices of educational supplies. Layo kaayo kita of deperensiya compared to Metro Manila. Sila didto sa Metro Manila P512 and then kita diri P338. Layo kaayo,” said Borja.

Borja said northern Mindanao’s Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) may opt to order the raise at this time given the significant deterioration of economic conditions.

“Tanan misaka nga presyo sa palaliton,” he said.

Borja said the impending ALU-TUCP petition is supported by data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and the independent think tank Ibon Foundation that showed that the inflation rate reached 5.2 percent as of March 2018.

It was, according to ALU-TUCP, the highest so far in the last five years.

Based on the March figures, Ibon computed that a family of six in Metro Manila needs a daily income of P1,168. For a family of five P973 is needed. While the cost of living in northern Mindanao is lower, the data somehow give a picture of how increasing prices throughout the country have been hurting pockets.

Borja said that while RTWPB increased the minimun daily wage in the region on July 3, 2017, workers have grown impatient and could no longer wait till next month.

“Dili na gyud pwede nga hulatan pa tungod kay tanan affected na sa kamahal sa palaliton,” he said.

Borja said there were “supervening conditions” that call for an immediate increase in wages due to the rising inflation.

ALU-TUCP called for an immediate, substantial, and across-the-board minimum wage increase to enable workers and their families cope with high inflation.

According ALU-TUCP, the government should even consider suspending the implementation of the Train Law or amend or get rid of it for good, and look into the possibility of a standard increase of the daily national minimum wage to P800.

Former vice mayor Antonio Soriano said it is a given that the Train Law factored in the price increases.

On top of the 12-percent Value-Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products, he said, the government also imposed an eight-percent excise tax.

“Mora bag naglukdo kag usa ka bukag nga mangga, gipatungan og 12-percent VAT ug eight percent nga excise tax. Demodo bug-at na gyud kaayo ang iyang gilokdo,” said Soriano.

Soriano joined calls for the amendment of the Train Law and to scrap the excise tax on fuel and other petroleum products, pointing out that dramatic increases in transportation costs would naturally have a domino effect on the prices of basic commodities.

The average retail prices of canned sardines here based on DTI’s May 25 data:

• 555 sardines, P15 from the previous price of P14.15;
• Atami sardines, P14.35 from P13.40;
• Family Budget Pack, P13.40 from P12;
• Family Bonus, P16 from P13.75;
• Hakone, P13.65 from P13.40;
• King-cup, P14.60 from P14;
• Ligo, P16.50 from P15.15;
• Lucky 7, from P13.65 from P13;
• Master, from P15.65 from P13.75;
• Mega sardines, P15.50 from P13.75,
• Uni Pack, P16.25 from P14.20; and
• Youngstown, P14.70 from P14.15;

Retail prices of milk:

• Alaska condensed milk (300 ml), P41.75 from P39.25;
• Angel (380g), P41.50 from P36.75;
• Carnation (387g), P52.60 from P49.55;
• Liberty (370 ml), P44.50 from P39.25;
• Angel evaporated milk (410 ml), P38.75 from P38;
• Alpine evaporated milk (370 ml), P54 from P50.95;
• Alaska evaporated milk (370 ml), P25.75 from P24.25;
• Angel evaporated milk (410 ml), P24.50 from P22.10;
• Alaska instant powered milk (150g), P44.50 from P41.60;
• Anchor Family milk (14g), P46.50 from P45; and
• Anchor Full Cream milk (150g), P73.50 from P71.65

The Gold Star Daily checked the prices of different kinds of fish at the Carmen market:

• bulis, P140 from P120 per kilo;
• borot, P160 from P140 per kilo;
• buksawan, P220 from P180 per kilo; and
• bangus, P160 from P120 per kilo.