Working poor can’t afford cost of basic goods — TUCP

At least 20 million poorest of the working poor nationwide can no longer afford the P293 daily cost of food and other basic commodities needed by a Filipino family of five to survive, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) said on Monday.

The TUCP urged the Aquino administration to take steps to ease the workers’ burden following a survey showing poverty erodes the poor workers’ take home pay and has now overtaken minimum wage earners’ in Metro Manila and in all other regions in the Philippines since last year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2014 survey released March 6, poverty incidence among Filipino families worsened to 20% in the first half of 2014 from 18.8% in 2013 while the subsistence incidence rose from 7.5% in 2013 to 7.6% this year.

The result also showed incomes of poor families were short by 27% of the average poverty threshold of P8,778/month or P293/day for a family of five in the first semester of 2014. This means, on the average, an additional P2,370 was needed by a poor worker and his family with five members in order to move out of poverty.

“With its 400 days left in office, President Noynoy Aquino must re-focus and re-devote his remaining time, energy, and political capital if he still he wants to make a direct impact to Filipino workers and their families. Rather than being kept busy by sexy political issues, he has to address one of the core issue of growing and escalating poverty incidence,” TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

In the National Capital Region (NCR) alone, the highest minimum wage in all 17 regions, government said the real value of the current P466 minimum daily wage is P356.64 or P7,846.08 a month or P932 short of the poverty threshold. The same survey showed 10.5% of the working population whose income cannot afford even the food threshold alone.

The poorest is in Yolanda-hit Eastern Visayas region with 2.2 million families who cannot afford the minimum amount of P293/daily amount. The current real value of the P280 daily minimum wage is P184/day.

The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) cited the rapid rise in food prices and the lingering effects of typhoon Yolanda as key reasons poverty worsened. Rice prices alone increased to 11.9% in the first semester of 2014 to 1.7% in the same period of 2013. - By Vito Barcelo / Manila Standard Today

4M more can’t afford daily cost of living – labor group

There are now four million more of the more than 20 million poorest of the working poor nationwide who cannot even afford the daily P293 cost of food and basic commodities needed by a Filipino family of five to survive, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) declared on Monday.

With this, the labor group urged the government to take immediate solutions, citing a survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that poverty continues to surpass poor workers’ take-home pay and has now overtaken minimum wage earners’ in Metro Manila and in all other regions in the Philippines since last year.

Results of the 2014 survey released March 6 this year also showed that poverty incidence among Filipino families worsened to 20 percent in the first half of 2014 from 18.8 percent in 2013 while the subsistence incidence rose from 7.5 percent in 2013 to 7.6 percent this year.
The results showed, too, that incomes of poor families were short by 27 percent of the average poverty threshold of P8,778/month or P293/day for a family of five in the first semester of 2014.

This means, on the average, an additional P2,370 was needed by a poor worker and his family with five members in order to move out of poverty.

“With its 400 days left in office, President [Benigno] Aquino [3rd] must refocus and redevote his remaining time, energy and political capital if he still he wants to make a direct impact [on] Filipino workers and their families. Rather than being kept busy by sexy political issues, he has to address one of the core issues of growing and escalating poverty incidence,” TUCP spokesman Alan Tanjusay said.

In the National Capital Region (NCR or Metro Manila) alone that pays the highest minimum wage in all 17 regions, the government said, the real value of the current P466 minimum daily wage is P356.64 or P7,846.08 a month or P932 short of the poverty threshold.

The PSA survey further showed that income of 10.5 percent of the working population cannot afford even the food threshold alone.

The poorest are in Eastern Visayas region—hardest hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013—with 2.2 million families who cannot afford the minimum amount of P293 daily amount. The current real value of the P280 daily minimum wage is P184 a day.

The National Economic and Development Authority cited rapid rise in food prices and lingering effects of Yolanda as key reasons why poverty worsened.

Rice prices alone increased by 11.9 percent in the first semester of 2014, compared to 1.7 percent for the same period in 2013. - by JING VILLAMENTE The Manila Times

TUCP: Survey says 4 M new poor workers in Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP) on Monday bared that there are four million new poor workers nationwide.

Quoting a recent poll released by the Philippine Statistics Authority, TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said these new poor workers cannot afford the P293 projected daily cost of food and basic commodities of a Filipino family of five to survive.

With this, the labor group urged the government to take immediate solutions to address growing poverty and unemployment in the country.

Results of 2014 survey released last March 6 showed that poverty incidence among Filipino families worsened to 20 percent in the first half of 2014 from 18.8 percent in 2013 while the subsistence incidence rose from 7.5 percent in 2013 to 7.6 percent this year.

The result also showed incomes of poor families were short by 27 percent of the average poverty threshold of P8,778 per month or P293 daily for a family of five in the first semester of 2014. This means, on the average, an additional P2,370 was needed by a poor worker and his family with five members to move out of poverty.

"With only 400 days left in office, President Noynoy Aquino must re-focus and re-devote his remaining time, energy, and political capital if he still wants to make a direct impact on Filipino workers and their families," Tanjusay said.

In the National Capital Region alone, the highest minimum wage in all 17 regions, the government said the real value of the current P466 minimum daily wage is P356.64 or P7,846.08 a month or P932 short of the poverty threshold.

The same survey showed that 10.5 percent of the working population whose income cannot afford even the food threshold alone.

The poorest is in Yolanda-hit Eastern Visayas region with 2.2 million families who cannot afford the minimum daily cost of P293. The current real value of the P280 daily minimum wage is P184.

The National Economic Development Authority cited the rapid rise in food prices and the lingering effects of typhoon Yolanda as key reasons poverty worsened. Rice prices alone increased to 11.9 percent in the first semester of 2014 to 1.7 percent in the same period of 2013. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

TUCP: Wage hike moratorium ended October last year

A labor group clarified that the one-year moratorium on wage hike petition has ended October last year.

MANILA, Philippines - Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) on Tuesday clarified that the one-year moratorium on wage hike petition ended October last year.

The group made the clarification after Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte last week said that the moratorium will only end on May 2015.

"The one-year moratorium ended on October 2014 not on May 2015. She is misinformed about wage increase petition and it’s unprofessional to be presidential spokesperson when you don’t know the basic and gut issues of the country. ..it’s revolting that public servants at her level keeps gives the public wrong information. She better correct this," TUCP spokesperson Alan Tanjusay said.

The labor group filed its P136 wage hike petition last January 29 this year.

When asked to comment on the wage hike petition, Valte said labor groups would have to wait for a one-year prescriptive period before they can file another wage petition because the last increase was given on May 2014.

Last week, the Regional Wages and Productivity Board convened and conducted a first of three public consultation on the petition filed by TUCP for a P136 hike on the minimum wage.

The current minimum wage in Metro Manila is P466 but due to the spate of increase in basic social services and commodities, its real value is at P356.64, the TUCP said. - By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)