These warehouse employees got paid their salary in 1-peso and 25-centavo coins

How would you like to receive your salary in coins? That's exactly what these warehouse employees in Quezon City recently experienced.

Instead of the usual paper money that employers give out, they received bundles of 1-peso and 25-centavo coins.

In Manal Sugadol's report on Stand for Truth, Tuesday, production installer Mark Anthony Ruivivar who works in a foodcart warehouse said that he and his brother each received Php 3,188 for their weekly salary in the form of coins.

He said, "Lahat ng kasamahan namin pinasahod niya nang maayos — papel, nasa sobre po. Kami po nasa sobre payslip lang po tapos 'yung pera namin tigpi-piso at bentsingko."

Aside from the fact that it was so heavy to carry, the family even spent three hours just counting the exact amount that was given to them.

According to Mark, it wasn't always like that. Previously, they would be paid in the normal way, through paper money.

However, he would only be paid P400 day and his brother P500, payment that is below the minimum wage dictated by the Department of Labor and Employment. They were also exempted from the 13th month pay term.

After three years working for the company, the siblings finally brought the issue of their salary to their employer.

The employer, Mark said, willingly agreed to pay them their rightful minimum wage of P537 per day, but there was a catch.

By the time they got their next salary, the siblings were given bundles of coins.

Imagine their plight: It took Mark and his family three hours just to weed through the coins. While a portion of sum — a bag worth of 200-peso coins — already weighed 2 kilos and 1/4.

Luckily, Mark said, a store accepted the 1-peso coins as payment and he was finally able to buy groceries. However, they couldn't even use the 25-centavo coins that totals to over Php 1,100 since the store couldn't accept it, as the coins appeared to be old and already deformed.

Banks won't even trade for them, said Mark, unless they had bank accounts which they unfortunately didn't.

According to DOLE undersecretary Atty. Anna Dione, CPA, "Legally, legal tender 'yun pero practicality and reasonableness parang hindi maganda. Dapat pinapalitan na lang niya 'yun sa bangko in paper kasi nga naman mabigat 'yun."

She also added that if proven that the employer pays below the minimum wage, he or she can face an underpayment case and finally be forced to give to his or her employees their rightful wage.

"Dapat ibalik niya 'yung tamang bayad sa manggagagawa. 'Yun 'yung penalty ng employer ng mababa sa itinakdang minimum wage," she said.

Although the employer has not given any statement yet, he or she has commented on a social media thread, saying, "'Yang mga trabahador na 'yan pumapasok ng mga kumpanya at hahanap ng butas para makapag reklamo at perahan ang mga may ari nito."

He or she added, "Nag kaso sila tapos gumawa sila ng kwento tungkol sa 'kin na masamang boss daw ako. Pero gusto nila bumalik sa trabaho. Pag balik nila ng trabaho, naglikot ang mga kamay, nagbulakbol at kung ano anong mga kalokohan ang ginagawa."

Mark clarified however that he and his brother works well and they just wish they can be compensated properly.