Agriculture group urges Marcos to block P200 daily wage hike
Local farmers plant various types of feeds for cattle farming.
MANILA, Philippines — An industry association representing the agriculture, fisheries, and food sectors on Wednesday appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to block the P200 daily minimum wage hike approved by the House of Representatives.
The group warned that the measure could worsen the challenges faced by the already struggling agriculture sector.
In a letter dated June 11, the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. (PCAFI) expressed “grave concern” over the House of Representatives’ passage of the wage hike bill on third and final reading on June 3.
The group argued that the legislation lacked proper consultation with the agriculture sector, particularly farmers and fisherfolk who, they said, would not benefit from the wage hike but instead suffer from its inflationary effects.
READ: Economic team warns of ‘dangerous repercussions’ of P200 wage hike
“The decision of Congress to approve the wage increase did not undergo consultation with the agricultural sector, most specifically the farmers and fisherfolk who are painstakingly working to make a daily living to survive and produce food for our people,” said PCAFI president Danilo Fausto.
“In so doing, Congress failed to take into consideration the implications and effect of the said wage increase bill on the lives and welfare of farmers and fisherfolks,” he added.
While PCAFI clarified it was not against improving the income of workers, it noted that farmers and fisherfolk — many of whom operate informally or seasonally — would be excluded from wage adjustments but still bear the brunt of higher costs.
“Our farmers and fisherfolks, because of the very nature of their livelihood, will not be covered by any wage increases. However, farmers and fisherfolks will be greatly affected by increases in prices of prime commodities brought about by upward wage adjustments,” Fausto’s letter read.
READ: 19th Congress ends session without ratifying wage hike bill
Farm sector not ready
The PCAFI official also pointed to the agriculture sector’s 1.6-percent contraction in 2024, arguing that a mandated wage hike could stall its recovery.
“The development of the agriculture value chain and supply chain to develop the agriculture sector will be greatly hampered as operational costs will discourage any investments and expansion due to the wage increase,” Fausto said.
He concluded the letter by urging the president to withhold approval of the bill “until such time that the agriculture sector has fully recovered and achieved reasonable productivity and growth.
Aside from PCAFI, other business groups that have opposed the measure include Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., the Philippine Retailers Association and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc.
On June 3, the House of Representatives gave its final approval to a bill proposing a P200 increase in the daily minimum wage.
