De Guzman, Pacquiao favor raising minimum wage

Presidential candidates Leody de Guzman and Manny Pacquiao said Sunday they are willing to raise the minimum wage in the country to keep up with rising living costs.

During the presidential debate hosted by CNN Philippines, De Guzman proposed a daily minimum wage of P750, while Pacquiao said it should be between P700 and P800. 

De Guzman, a labor leader, said businesses should not be concerned about losing revenue if the minimum wage is raised, adding that studies show that having more disposable income would increase consumer spending, which would improve the economy.

Jose Montemayor Jr. then joined the conversation, asking De Guzman if the proposal could impinge on the rights of employers.

In response, De Guzman said he also considered the welfare of small businesses that will be affected by such a policy, but asked if it is right to continue giving workers a "slavery wage."

"Gusto ba natin na patuloy alipinin 'yung ating mga manggagawa na siyang lumilikha ng kaunlaran ng ating bayan? Bakit hindi natin hindi ibigay sa mga manggagawa 'yung tamang pasahod na dapat nilang tanggapin kapalit ng kanilang pinagtrabahuan sa kumpanyang kanilang pinapasukan?" he said.

(Do we want to further enslave our workers who help create progress in the country? Why won't we give the employees the proper salary in exchange for the work they do for their employers?)

Currently, there are 17 wage boards across the country mandated to set a minimum wage, all of which were created in 1989 through Republic Act 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act.

The daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region is P537, which is the highest in the country. — Anna Felicia Bajo, Jamil Santos and Llanesca T. Panti/VBL, GMA News