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By Louise Maureen Simeon

It is not enough.

Kristelle Triñanes, a saleslady earning P456 a day, doesn't know how her daily budget will suffice her family’s everyday expenditures. To apportion their income and make it adequate for their family's daily expenses is the major problem of minimum wage earners like Triñanes.

Last September 5, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz announced the P10 increase in the minimum wage of Metro Manila workers in line with the decision of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board of the National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR).

Under the Wage Order No. 18 signed by RTWPB-NCR Chairperson Alex Avila, Vice Chairpersons Rosemarie Edillon and Ferdinand Manfoste and other members of the labor and employer sector, workers will expect the P466 minimum wage before the end of the month.

But even with the said increase, Triñanes, a saleslady in a department store, cannot consider the raise as a help for her family.

"Tumaas din naman yung mga bilihin, so wala ding saysay," Triñanes who spends almost P600 a day said via text message.

Meanwhile, Ma. Leonora Lumahan, a cashier in a department store, also voiced out the same sentiments saying that the increase does not guarantee a better way of living.

The new minimum wage is applicable to all workers from the private sector in NCR but the order does not cover household helpers or family drivers.

“Our workers’ take home pay is increased to P11, 240 per month or by 2.1%, compared to the current P11, 005 per month. Our workers will get a bigger 13th month pay of P11, 651 or an increase of about 5.9%,” Baldoz said in her official statement.      

"Hindi pa din kasya, pangbayad pa sa kuryente at tubig," Lumahan whose family's daily expenses amount to P500 told the Streamline News.

The government has long been urged by different labor groups petitioning for a better wage increase because of the continuous rise of the prices of basic commodities. 




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