Labor group slams PBBM for ‘no dialogue’ in three years

TUCP’s Atty. Zeus R. Mabanag, Regional Vice-President of ALU-CVR, and Jun P. Tagalog, Education and Information Director of ALU Central Visayas, at a Press Conference on Thursday, May 8.

CEBU CITY, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has not held a single dialogue with labor groups in his three years in office, according to labor leaders who, on Thursday, renewed their call for a legislated P200 daily minimum wage hike.

Because of this, the labor group slams PBBM for what the members perceived as a clear presidentail snob.

Jun Tagalog, education and information director of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU) in Central Visayas, said workers have grown increasingly frustrated over what they see as the administration’s continued disengagement with the labor sector, especially amid rising living costs.

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“In his three years in office, we have marked three Labor Days, yet the President has never once sat down with labor groups—not even for a formal dialogue,” Tagalog said during a press conference on May 8.

“At the very least, we expected some courtesy—a willingness to listen. But there has been none so far,” he added.

Tagalog criticized the President’s Labor Day message on May 1, in which he claimed to hear workers’ calls for better wages but once again deferred the issue to the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), which conducts wage reviews on a regional basis.

“President Marcos said the RTWPB is still reviewing the matter, but there was no clear or positive response to the call for a legislated wage increase,” Tagalog said.

Lawyer Zeus Mabanag, ALU Central Visayas Regional Vice President, supported Tagalog’s remarks. He said the President simply redirected the issue back to the RTWPB.

“Instead of taking a clear position, President Marcos returned the matter to the wage boards,” Mabanag said.

The labor sector is backing House Bill No. 11376, which seeks a nationwide P200 increase in the daily minimum wage.

Authored by the Trade Union Congress Party-list (TUCP), the measure aims to address what labor advocates describe as an urgent need for wage relief, particularly for rank-and-file workers in the private sector.

While business groups, especially micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), have expressed concern over the possible impact of the wage hike on their operations, TUCP emphasized that the bill includes safeguards and exemptions for financially distressed businesses.

Under existing laws, including Republic Act No. 9178, or the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act of 2002, and the Wage Rationalization Act, qualifying establishments can seek exemption from minimum wage requirements.

Despite the growing support among lawmakers, the proposed legislation has hit a temporary roadblock due to the congressional recess for the May 2025 midterm elections.

The bill, which is on third and final reading in the House of Representatives, must be passed before June 30.

Otherwise, it will have to be refiled and begin the legislative process anew when the 20th Congress opens.

The TUCP has accused the administration of relying too heavily on regional wage boards, which it says have failed to keep up with the actual cost of living.

Minimum wages currently range from P361 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to P645 in Metro Manila, both figures still below the P693.30 daily cost of a healthy diet for a family of five, as estimated by the Ateneo Policy Center using the government’s “Pinggang Pinoy” food guide.

“The wage boards are outdated. Workers cannot survive on wages that are insufficient to provide food, education, and healthcare for their families,” Tagalog said.