By: Atty. Gregorio B. Austral, CPA
Getting through the inflation storm
In a country where ₱50 is viewed as a great step forward in wage law, Filipino workers must ask: Is survival now up for negotiation?
Recent polls show that inflation is the thing that worries people the most. More than 60% of Filipinos can’t afford basic things like rice and electricity. In the meantime, the projected salary raises are still minimal and spread out, which makes it hard for families to get by. The divide between economic policy and human dignity needs more than just change; it needs justice.
The Philippine Constitution says that labor is a “primary social economic force” and vows to protect and improve it. But for decades, regional wage boards have only awarded little hikes that don’t keep up with the cost of living. This way of doing things is legal, but it feels wrong in a moral perspective.
History provides us better guidance. Merces justa, or “just wage,” was not a fair way to do business under Roman law; it was also important for keeping society stable. The Code of Justinian said that job obligations were a moral compact between people and society. This approach illustrates that our messed-up pay system is a sign of legal negligence that is masked by bureaucratic conformity.
Some individuals said that the recent ₱50 wage increase in Metro Manila was historic, yet it’s less than half of what is believed to be a livable wage. Changes are either late or only for show in other places. And when prices go up, workers are told to “tighten their belts,” which is already hard for them to do under a system that makes it impossible for them to breathe.
Wage distortion, which means that new workers and experienced workers get virtually the same wage, makes matters worse. This hurts morale at work and goes against merit, which makes equity a crisis of purpose.
We need to do more than just add up the numbers to figure out inflation. The state needs to set rules and make sure they are followed so that people know that making a living is not a privilege but a right. People who set salaries should not only be policymakers, but also labor unions, university economists, and community leaders who can interpret data and understand what it means.
A decent wage shouldn’t merely go up when prices go up; it should also think about what people need. It has to provide the worker more than just enough to get by; it has to give them hope for a life of dignity. And it has to be built on a long history of fairness that goes back further than any budget meeting.
Inflation may change, but justice must always be there. Our moral requirements for government rise as the expense of living rises.