What an ugly, mortifying news this is:
THE country’s daily minimum wage is one of the highest in the region, based on the amount of rice, the staple food of Filipinos, it can buy.
The National Statistics Coordination Board’s newly released “Sexy Statistics” showed that last year, the daily minimum wages in the Philippines and Thailand could buy the most rice, compared to the daily minimum wages in other Asean member.
….
Virola said that the data could also be used as an argument against increasing minimum wage. He said this is why the NSCB releases these kinds of statistics to contribute to government policy-making and planning.
“Based on these data, there is no need to increase minimum wage in the Philippines. But we all know that setting minimum wage setting is not as simple and we also need to take other factors into consideration,” Virola said.
Excuse me, National Statistics Coordination Board, but, seriously? Let’s not raise the minimum wage because Filipinos can buy more rice than other Southeast Asian countries can? With a minimum daily wage of a little over P200.00, sure we can buy more rice… and that’s it, the 200 pesos can buy rice only, no more no less.
This minimum wage means nothing if we take a look at the prices of basic commodities. Oil has increased four times this year, and it’s only January. With a family of, say, four, how can 200 pesos feed all four mouths and send them to work/school and pay for utilities (water, electricity, phone, etc.).
And besides, to say that Filipinos can buy more rice than most of Southeast Asians could mean that Filipinos are indeed poorer than their neighbors if you look at this news:
We need gulays and desserts too noh and security too! >.<
LOL, right, we love our sweets, that is, necessary miscellaneous.
Ay nako di enough yung 200pesos a day! Sa taas ng bilihin at ng inflation ngayon yung 200pesos is only worth 50-70pesos ngayon! So sad talaga itong balita.
tama ka dyan, Hello Kitty.
That was a very stupid, senseless statement made by Dr. Virola. Being a statistician myself, I could not understand why he was able to make that conclusion that the power to buy enough rice is enough basis not to increase the minimum wage. Rice cost is just around 10-20% of our daily basic expenses. Sad to hear that from someone who we expect to understand figures and statistics.
oooh, you’re a statistician! cool!