Labor group: P20 rice program not enough
Cebu-based labor group Partido Manggagawa has called on the Marcos administration to pair its P20-per-kilo rice initiative with a P200 wage hike. Citing worsening poverty and hunger, the group stressed that affordable rice alone isn’t enough and urged President Marcos to certify the wage hike bill as urgent to ease workers’ hardships.
CEBU, Philippines — The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) has called on the national government to complement its P20-per-kilo rice initiative with a P200 wage increase, arguing that affordable rice alone is insufficient to ease the suffering of poor and hungry Filipinos.
“P20 bigas ay di sapat, P200 umento din dapat,” the group said.
Dennis Derige, Cebu coordinator of Partido Manggagawa, emphasized that the government’s focus on cheap rice is not enough.
“A P200 wage hike plus P20 subsidized rice are initial steps to alleviate the conditions of poor and hungry Filipinos,” Derige said.
He urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to prioritize the passage of the pending P200 wage hike bill in Congress.
“We ask President Bong Bong Marcos to certify as urgent the pending P200 salary increase bill in Congress,” he said.
Labor unions and workers across the country held rallies to push for a legislated wage increase. In Cebu, around a thousand workers from PM and allied labor groups gathered at Fuente Osmeña in Cebu City at 9:00 a.m. for a joint program.
During the rally, Derige also echoed the group’s four-point labor agenda, known as “Apat na Dapat,” saying, “Apat na Dapat dahil P20 bigas ay di sapat!”
Apat na Dapat refers to their advocacy for wage hikes, regular employment, accessible public services, and the abolition of political dynasties.
Derige urged the government to take concrete action: “Complement the rollout of the P20 subsidized rice with certification of the P200 wage hike—if BBM is serious in responding to worsening hunger and poverty in the country.”
He pointed out that Filipino workers continue to demand higher wages, job security, and improved public services amid deteriorating economic conditions.
Derige cited recent surveys showing that one in four Filipino families experience involuntary hunger—the highest rate since the pandemic—while more than half of the population considers themselves poor, marking the worst level in 21 years.
He criticized the disconnect between the government’s optimistic economic indicators and the public’s lived reality.
“The reality is stark: minimum wages remain below the poverty threshold, endo is rampant, and public services like PhilHealth are being gutted to fund political patronage,” he said.
Derige further condemned political dynasties, claiming that while powerful families like the Marcoses and Dutertes fight over influence and public funds, ordinary workers continue to suffer.
“Enough of elite theatrics—Labor Day must unite workers across factions, regions, and generations behind a shared platform,” he concluded.
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Source : Philstar Global
