MINIMUM wages could be reviewed more frequently under a proposed midyear assessment meant to catch sharp price increases before they significantly erode workers’ purchasing power, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
The proposal would give regional wage boards a regular basis to reassess rates outside the usual cycle, including when extraordinary economic conditions emerge.
Labor Secretary Francis N. Tolentino said the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) should not wait for workers to file petitions or for conditions to worsen before reviewing existing wage rates.
‘Rather than wait for a petition or for conditions to become dire enough to force an emergency wage order, this commission should now think of producing a midyear wage and price assessment every midyear,’ Tolentino said.
The assessment would track first-half consumer price movements and measure their impact on lower-income households and the real value of minimum wages across regions.
Tolentino also wants clear criteria that would allow regional wage boards to initiate reviews on their own when warranted.
Such a mechanism could allow boards to respond faster when global or domestic developments push up prices and weaken workers’ purchasing power.
‘What we owe the Filipino worker is not just a single generous gesture at the year’s end followed by silence until the next crisis forces our hand,’ Tolentino said.
He said wage-setting should remain flexible and evidence-based, with regular checks on whether current rates still reflect conditions faced by workers and employers.
The proposal comes as the latest Metro Manila minimum wage increase remains covered by a court injunction.
While respecting the order, the government must keep looking for other lawful ways to respond to changing economic conditions, Tolentino said.
‘We should not be held hostage by a court injunction. However erroneous it might be, we have to respect it at the moment,’ he said.
‘We have to find other means to be flexible enough to respond to the conditions as they emerge-means outside the court but within the legal parameters provided for by the Labor Code of the Philippines,’ Tolentino added.
NWPC Executive Director Maria Criselda R. Sy, meanwhile, said wage decisions should put human dignity at their core as the commission and regional boards reviewed wage concerns, upcoming consultations and productivity initiatives.
Tolentino said the broader goal is to make wage-setting more transparent, evidence-based and responsive while balancing the needs of workers and employers.