Philippines’ record capital wage rise leaves workers hungry for more

In the Philippine capital, 85 pesos (US$1.40) is barely enough to buy a meal for one, let alone a family of five.

Yet that modest sum, roughly the price of 1½kg of premium imported rice, is the largest single wage increase ever approved for Metro Manila’s minimum-wage earners.

The government called it “historic”. Labour groups called it an insult.

The increase, to be rolled out in two stages, was confirmed by the Department of Labour and Employment on Tuesday.

Non-agricultural workers will see their daily wage rise from 695 pesos to 755 pesos this month, then to 780 pesos by January. Employees of smaller companies and agricultural workers will see a similar, slightly lower increase, climbing from 658 to 743 pesos over the same period.

On paper, it marks a record increase. In practice, economists and labour leaders say it does not even come close to covering a soaring cost of living that has outrun wages for years.