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Villanueva pushes for a decent wage hike: Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva backs a decent wage increase for Filipino workers, saying that the present minimum wage in the country is not enough for a family to live decently. During Wednesday’s public hearing May 10, 2023, of the Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, Villanueva cited the current daily minimum wage ranging from P306 to P570. However, according to a study of the IBON Foundation, a Filipino family of five in the National Capital Region (NCR) needs at least P1,161 daily or P25,248 monthly to have a decent life. “The high inflation rate juxtaposed with the minimum wage further reduces the purchasing power of Filipino workers. With a high inflation rate of 6.6 percent in April 2023, the value of real income has failed to meet the rising cost of living,” Villanueva explained. “As we continue with the hearing, let us keep in mind this basic but often ignored fact – all workers deserve a wage that is sufficiently high for them to maintain a decent quality of living and to keep their families out of poverty,” he added. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)