Lawmaker dares Cabinet officials to live on minimum wage for a month

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 24) — A party-list lawmaker on Thursday challenged Cabinet officials to live on minimum wage for a month to know the plight of workers who bring home measly pay.

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel made the dare during the House Committee on Appropriations' deliberations on the 2024 budget of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual earlier remarked that a minimum wage earner's income is sufficient to cover a family of five.

In Metro Manila, the daily minimum wage of private workers in the non-agricultural sector is ₱610 and ₱573 for those in the agriculture sector, as well as service and retail establishments with 15 or fewer workers.

"I would actually want to challenge our DTI officials, and isama na rin po 'yung nasa Cabinet, na try po siguro isang buwan to live on minimum wage para po direct talaga, mas makunan natin ng basis 'yung ating mga positions and mga pronouncements po natin on minimum wage," Manuel said.

[Translation: I would actually want to challenge our DTI officials, and let's include those in the Cabinet, to maybe try living on minimum wage for a month for them to get the basis on our position and pronouncements regarding the minimum wage.]

Pascual, however, said experts on minimum wage should look into the matter. He also argued that the DTI is aware of the public's needs.

"In fact, we are so much in touch with reality that's why we have programs to address the needs of our fellow Filipinos, particularly in terms of creating and generating better quality and higher paying jobs," he said.

Manuel encouraged Pascual to be careful with his statements, saying it was not the first time the trade chief made remarks that appeared detached from reality.