IN COMMEMORATION OF Labor Day, labor and progressive groups gathered at Liwasang Bonifacio on May 1 to amplify the nationwide call for government accountability and action on labor-related grievances. United in their fight for dignity and justice, workers urged society to heed and value the hands that truly build it. 

At the heart of Mayo Uno are the personas that craft and direct the trajectory of the path the world takes. Through their sweat and struggle, the laborers hold the weight of both the present and the future of a nation. They are the key players in economic stability, growth, and development but are ironically left to fight for their space in society as their grievances persist in unjust wages, working conditions, and the systemic inequities that continue to undermine their dignity and rights. 

Labor Day serves as an avenue to voice the ongoing struggles faced by Filipino workers. It is commemorated with unity and solidarity as thousands of laborers, activists, advocates, and other labor allies echo a resounding plea for justice and fair treatment. 

More than just a figure: The true cost of a living wage 

Amid long-standing grievances, Filipino laborers have united around several key demands: a Php1,200 wage increase, the abolition of regional wage boards, the end of contractualization, and the unhampered right to assemble and petition the government. At the heart of their struggle lies the suppression of constitutional rights—specifically, the right to a living wage. 

A recent study by the IBON Foundation reveals that the average family living wage for a household of five across various regions is no less than Php1,200 per day. In a climate of persistent inflation, the current minimum wage falls dramatically short of this threshold, calling into question the government’s commitment to the Constitution’s guarantee of a “living wage.” 

In response to mounting pressure, a legislative bill has been proposed to increase the minimum wage by Php200. However, for many workers and advocates, this gesture is seen as insufficient.  

While framed as a step toward economic relief, the proposed amount falls far below what is needed to meet the rising cost of living. Rather than bridging the wage gap, critics argue that it barely scratches the surface of a deeper economic divide. 

Beyond the band-aid: The voice of a Labor Ally  

Liza Maza, a former congresswoman, activist, labor ally, and a candidate in the last 2025 senatorial race, expressed her thoughts on the pending bill. “Hindi talaga ito sasapat kasi kung titingnan natin, ang sabi nga ng mga independent research institutions, Php1200 ang cost of living para sa pamilyang may limang miyembro…kung dadagdagan ng Php200, hindi pa rin makakasapat doon sa Php1200,” Maza asserted.  

Under the current wage, which has “failed to keep up with the rising expenses,” the government, in the form of the legislative, addressed the wide disparity in wages and expenses by proposing a bill that aims to increase the minimum wage by Php200—a raise not even half of what the workers fight for, and a figure too minuscule to close the disparity. 

Maza further voiced how these could never close the wide disparity between wage and expenses, stating, “kahit magdagdag ng php200, madaling mag-erode ‘yun eh sa mabilis na pagkataas ng mga bilihin like for example, ngayong Abril, tataas naman ang singil sa kuryente.” 

Concrete demands of workers 

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Chairman Elmer “Ka Bong” Labog gave an answer to the offered Php200 wage increase on the Labor Day protest.  

“Malinaw na hindi sapat ‘yung dalawang daan, no,” Labog stated, in reference to the nationwide collective rally of workers. The government’s reaction to demands for a living wage is “less than satisfactory” and remains a series of half-measures that “do not address the core of labor exploitation.”  

He also blamed these ills on bigger forms of corporate impunity, citing how hazardous working conditions and lack of enforcement on labor standards have yielded fatal results, such as the Kentex factory fire.  

Aside from salaries, Labog stressed that true democracy is giving the workers economic independence and true choices, not limiting ones like temporary free rides. He concluded with a call on the youth and the electorate to vote for true representatives of the people and not for political personalities who offer recycled promises.  

“Mahalanga na piliin nila ‘yung mga progresibong kandidato at mga party list. ‘Wag tayong magpagogoyo sa mga artista at payaso na nais muling makapuwesto sa ilang taon na, pero maririnig mo lang naman ang recycled na mga pangako.” 

Looking forward with its 2025 Labor Day movement behind it, labor groups are poised to continue pressuring lawmakers to pass their top agenda, which are a substantial wage increase, the abolition of contractualization, and improved defenses of the right to organize—hoping that real reforms will go beyond the streets and into law. 

However, after more than a month, as of June 11, 2025, and after two long years of lobbying for what would have been the first across-the-board legislated minimum wage hike since 1989, the bill unfortunately died as the upper house junked it, citing concerns that it would lead to economic repercussions, including increased inflation and decreased employment. Moreover, the bill was also flagged as no longer a priority, as it was stalled by the conclusion of the 19th congressional session. 

Despite the congressional wage hike fiasco, minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are set to receive a 50-peso wage increase through an administrative action led by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The wage increase was commenced by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–NCR on June 30, 2025, to be in effect starting on July 18, and to be applicable also to workers in the agriculture, retail, and small manufacturing sectors.  

The increase was claimed to be designed in accordance with the economic indicators in Metro Manila and business sustainability, balancing pay and productivity. While the call for an increase is granted, signaling a welcome development, the increase is evidently not even half of what the workers want and need, and still falters to make the minimum wage a living one—one that is comprehensive, nationwide, and in the empirically justiciable standards. 

(with Nityananda Dasi Santos)