BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson backed the statement of local business leader Frank Carbon that the rising food inflation should be addressed first before talking of a wage hike.
He also agreed with Carbon that the proposed P750 increase in the daily wage is too much for businesses.
“Patay gid ta sina,” he said.
While the labor sector has reasons for making the proposal, Lacson pointed out the present inflation cannot be corrected by simply hiking the workers’ wages.
“There are other ways to address the inflation other than increasing the salary. I agree with Mr. Carbon that we should lower [the inflation],” the Negros Occidental governor said.
Over the weekend, Carbon said the business sector has been appealing to the government and multinational companies to invest heavily in food production for the agricultural sector to improve.
Carbon said the Filipinos’ access to cheaper food must be improved first before the government considers raising wages.
He pointed out the proposed P750 increase in the daily wage is too much for businesses, especially for micro, small and medium enterprises still reeling from the adverse economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic./PN
