P1,200 minimum wage pushed

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Central Visayas holds a public hearing on proposals to increase the daily minimum wage on August 19, 2025. | CDN Digital Photo / Morexette Marie Erram

CEBU CITY, Philippines — For the past 10 years, Ronald has worked at a chemical plant in Mandaue City. Yet despite his steady job, the minimum wage earner says his pay is never enough to cover his family’s daily needs.

Like many workers, he relies on loans to get by. “One hospitalization would put us in deep debt,” he said in Cebuano.

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, Ronald joined other workers at a public hearing to support petitions seeking to raise the minimum wage in Central Visayas to as much as P1,200 per day.

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The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-7) began consultations this week on the proposed wage hike, which would increase the current minimum daily rate of ₱501 by more than double.

Petitions for a “livable wage”

Two labor groups, ALSA Kontraktwal-Cebu and the CENAPRO union, filed petitions pushing for a ₱1,200 minimum wage. Meanwhile, the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) submitted a position paper backing a nationwide ₱1,500 daily wage.

Labor leaders argued that current pay rates no longer meet the rising cost of food and other essentials.

“The current P501 minimum wage is not enough to sustain a family. It’s barely enough for three meals a day,” said Rowel Lausin of ALSA Kontraktwal-Cebu. “A decent standard of living means being able to eat at least three times daily. Right now, workers are forced to carefully stretch that P501.”

The group Sugboanong Mamumuo Naakahiusa Alang sa Living Wage (SANA-ALL) also backed the petitions, calling the present wage “grossly insufficient.”

“Central Visayas has one of the lowest daily minimum wage rates despite the fastest growing economy in the Philippines,” the group said.

Business opposition

Business leaders, however, warned that a drastic wage hike could do more harm than good, particularly for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it supports a “balanced and evidence-based wage policy” that takes into account both workers’ needs and business sustainability.

The Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for its part, urged a “tiered and well-researched” approach rather than a uniform increase.

Philexport-Cebu echoed the sentiment, saying the government should instead focus on boosting the country’s competitiveness to attract more investors.

The RTWPB-7 is set to conduct more public hearings over the proposed wage hike in other areas in Cebu and Bohol this month.