A party-list lawmaker on Saturday thumbed down the proposed P200 monthly subsidy for workers by the Department of Labor and Employment to help them cope up with the increase of living triggered by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or the TRAIN Law.
Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said the meager increase is a virtual ‘slap’ on the workers who have been wallowing in subsistence level wages for years now. He said the amount translates to P7 a day that is “not even enough for jeepney ride.”
Casilao said instead of the band-aid solution, the government must support House Bill 7787 or the proposed P750 national minimum wage.
“It is just a cover-up, a diversion to undermine emphasis to the detrimental impact of Duterte’s tax law and the just-and-urgent demand for a P750-national minimum wage law,” said Casilao, one of the authors to HB 7787.
Citing an Ibon Foundation data, Casilao said the supposed family living wage in March 2018 should already be P1,168 for a family of six, a P656-gap from the highest minimum wage of P512 in the National Capital Region.
Based on government data, he said about 60 percent of the poor household income is spent on food, and for housing at about 10 percent. Thus, a minimum wage earner family member’s per capita budget for each meal could be ranging from P17 to 20, while on monthly housing at about P1,700, he said.
“Thus, the P200 monthly subsidy, which is less than P7 per day is literally giving alms to workers’ families,” Casilao said.
Casilao also urged Congress to support the proposed P750 across-the-board wage increase.
Meanwhile, Casilao, along with Rep. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, sought the deprivatization of water services in Metro Manila.
Casilao and Brosas aired their call after the two companies supplying water in Mtero Manila applied for rate increases with Manila Water Company asking for P8.30 per cubic meter rate hike; and Maynilad, P11 per cubic meter rate hike.
The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System was privatized during the Ramos administration because the government lacked funds to improve and expand water services and supply in the metropolis. Thus, the MWSS became a mere regulatory agency overseeing Manila Water and Maynilad.
“It is high time to demand reversal of privatized water utilities, as the concessionaires only profited for more than two decades at the cost of burdening the people, rate hikes as profit’s security of these corporate giants are in violation of social justice and sovereignty,” Casilao said.
Brosas said the impending “onerous” water rate hikes are on top of the hikes to be implemented also next month due to the foreign currency differential adjustment, which, she said, is also part of the government’s concession agreement when MWSS was privatized.
“Water rates should be reasonably based on the actual water supply and processing under government regulation and [should] be independent of foreign exchange rates and loan terms, with the end view of making water service accessible and affordable to all,” Brosas said.
The Manila Water is currently charging P9.75 per cubic meter. If the P8.30 per cubic meter rate hike were approved by the MWSS, the new rate will be P18.05.
While in the case of Maynilad that is now charging P8.873, its rate will be P19.873.