PBBM: Wage boards doing their job By Samuel P. Medenilla & Justine Xyrah Garcia
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MID calls from labor groups for a P200 legislated wage hike, President Ferdinand Marcos said he wants to maintain the status quo, wherein the regional wage boards continue to determine the said adjustments. In his speech for the 123rd Labor Day in Pasay City last Thursday, the chief executive said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) are already addressing the concerns of workers for higher minimum wage. “The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards continue to study wage levels
in each region,” Marcos said in Filipino. Also on Labor Day, the Department of Labor and Employment said it was hoping the labor fairs it initiated would result in more on-the-spot hires of at least “25 to 30 percent” of applicants. In championing the regional wage boards mode for wage-setting, the President noted that since July last year, 16 regions have already implemented minimum wage hikes implemented by the RTWPBs. “The government stands firm in its commitment to protecting and advancing workers’ welfare while promoting inclusive economic development,” Marcos said. The President made the remark after the National Wage Coalition—comprising the
Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA!), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), called for the passage of a P200 legislated wage hike. While he did not mention the proposed legislated wage hike in Congress, Marcos said the effect on the economy of the proposed wage adjustments should be determined. “When it comes to salary increases, it’s nice to hear sweet promises, but they have an impact on business growth, jobs, and the economy. That’s why we need to study them carefully,” Marcos said. Under Republic Act (RA) No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act, RTWPBs may raise minimum wage rates in their jurisdictions af-
ter the anniversary date of their previous wage orders and conducting the necessary public hearings and consultations. Such hearings and consultations may be initiated by the RTWPBs either through petitions from concerned parties or through a motu proprio initiative 60 days before the anniversary date of their previous wage orders. The RTWPB-NCR will be the first to start its consultation and public hearings and consultations for a minimum wage hike since its previous wage order took effect in July 2024. Based on data from the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), the National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest See “PBBM,” A2
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WAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Militant labor groups and student activists clashed with
riot police along Recto Avenue in Manila on May 1, 2025, as they marched toward Mendiola Bridge demanding regular jobs, higher wages and an end to contractualization—challenging the Marcos administration’s “sweet promises” for workers. The protests coincided with the Department of Labor and Employment’s nationwide job fair, including one at SM Grand Central in Caloocan, where over 4,600 jobs were offered in hopes of boosting on-the-spot hires. NONIE REYES & BERNARD TESTA
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By Andrea E. San Juan
Friday, May 2, 2025 Vol. 20 No. 201
PINOYS BOOKING HOTELS GROW 202%; TRAVEL AS THERAPY CITED By Ma. Stella F. Arnaldo
@andreasanjuan
HE Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry is pushing for the localization of around 20 to 25 line items of raw materials that are currently being imported—plastics, metals, connectors and chemicals— to strengthen the local supply base and reduce reliance on imports, according to an official of Ayala-owned Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI). “We’re moving with Seipi [Semiconductors and electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation Inc.] to push for localization. For now, 90 percent of incoming raw materials are imported. So again we’re pushing for localization. This will help the local industry,” Joy Bondoc, Senior Division Manager, IMI said at the Philippines Logistics Summit 2025 organized by Procurement and Supply Institute of Asia (Pasia) on Wednesday. Bondoc told reporters that as high as 50 percent of the imported raw materials which are being sourced from
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China, countries in Asia Pacific and Europe, can be transferred locally with this initiative. She divulged that the industry could save as much as 10 percent in terms of costs if the firms would push through with the localization. “There is a networking committee of SEIPI for the purchasing managers. The biggest problem was getting the data from all companies. Fortunately, this time we have quality of data so which means there are line items, part numbers and the volume. So this See “Seipi,” A2
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IVE me free breakfast and a pool, and I’m there. There was a 202-percent increase in Filipinos booking hotels in the country last year, versus in 2023, according to the Klook Philippines’s 2025 Travel Pulse, the results of which were revealed in a news briefing on Tuesday. According to the survey, “Filipinos booked one-two night stays at hotels and resorts that offer breakfast and have a pool. You know us Filipinos, we love our free buffet breakfast,” said Michelle Ho, general manager of Klook Philippines. “And because we travel as a family, [those with children], prefer hotels with pools,” she added. The survey also showed 45 percent of the respondents booked these hotels “less than a month to three months ahead of their travel, with activities generally being booked less than a month in advance,” she said, attributing the increase in hotel bookings due to the guests’
participation in marathons and concerts.
Travel as therapy
THE survey likewise showed a 160-percent rise in inbound tourists booking hotels in the Philippines. “Overall, the travel app recorded a general increase by 190 percent of those booking hotel stays on the platform,” said Ho, with majority of their respondents choosing hotels priced at an average of “P10,000 a night.” Klook’s Travel Pulse respondents numbered 5,000 in the Asia Pacific region, 500 of whom live in the Philippines. Majority of Klook’s consumers are aged between 25 and 40 years old. The same survey also showed Millennials and Generation Zs believe traveling is therapy—78.4 percent of respondents actively use travel to “mental[ly] reset. Millennials are those born between 1981 and 1996, while Gen Zs, between 1997 and 2012.” Ho said, “Overall, we’ve seen Filipinos take more chances on traveling in 2024 and definitely aren’t slowing down in 2025. It’s See “Pinoys,” A2
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WESM average prices for all 3 grids negative in April By Lenie Lectura
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@llectura
HE Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) has recorded anew “negative” average prices across all three grids in April, according to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). A negative price indicates that the WESM has supply surplus and, as such, prices can drop to
zero or even become negative. For the third time since December 2024, the WESM has recorded negative average prices across the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids. The negative WESM prices were registered last December 25, 2024 at P-1.0338 per kilowatt hour (kWh), on January 1, 2025 at P-0.5592 per kWh, and on April 18, 2025 at P-0.4014 per kWh. The three dates registered lower See “WESM,” A2
JOB SEEKERS FIND OPPORTUNITIES AT NATIONWIDE SM SUPERMALLS-DOLE LABOR DAY JOB FAIRS SM Supermalls and the Department
of Labor and Employment (DOLE)’s nationwide Labor Day Job Fairs on May 1 successfully connected job seekers with top employers across 20 SM malls and locations, including the main event at SMX Convention Center Manila. The initiative offered on-the-spot hiring and essential government services for a streamlined job search experience. (From left): SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) Vice Chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Jay Ruiz, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, DOLE Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Dr. Ted Herbosa. SM SUPERMALLS
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 56.2520 n JAPAN 0.3955 n UK 75.4339 n HK 7.2507 n CHINA 7.7359 n SINGAPORE 43.0094 n AUSTRALIA 35.9169 n EU 64.0710 n KOREA 0.0393 n SAUDI ARABIA 14.9973 Source: BSP (April 30, 2025)