SCUTTLEBUTT

Employers Day? Why not?

If there’s a Labor Day for toiling individuals, why not a “National Employers Day” for those who provide the wherewithal for the working class?

The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECoP) has suggested a day — 30 April — as a working holiday to honor those who provide the engines of the economy.

The day could strengthen employer-employee dialogue as a complementary celebration to Labor Day on 1 May.

ECoP’s concept aligns with its mission to promote balanced labor relations.

In 2017, ECoP opposed proposals to increase the number of non-working holidays, arguing that additional holidays reduce working days, lower labor productivity, and increase business costs due to the mandatory premium pay for work on such days.

They noted that the country already had a significant number of non-working holidays, leaving male workers with approximately 276 working days annually and female workers with even less due to additional leave entitlements. ECoP highlighted that low labor productivity impacts the country’s global competitiveness, as evidenced by its lower ranking in the Global Competitiveness Index.

Thus, its advocacy of a working holiday on 30 April is to balance the recognition of employers’ contributions with a minimal disruption to productivity. Unlike a non-working holiday, a working holiday allows businesses to operate normally without mandatory premium pay, with employees receiving their regular wages.

A parallel holiday recognizing employers could highlight their role in jobs creation, economic growth, and workplace innovation, fostering a narrative of mutual dependence between employers and employees.

It would also create a symbolic two-day celebration of the employer-employee partnership.

Thus, honoring both employees and employers on their respective days in the calendar gives credit where it is due.

Red flag

Much unrest is caused by either the high cost of food or the increasing hunger among the populace.

Thus, the administration must pay heed to the doubling of involuntary hunger, which is being addressed by focusing on ensuring higher wages and lower prices.

“The rise in hunger is a wake-up call that many Filipinos struggle with on their meager incomes and the high cost of living. This shows the government’s rhetoric of economic gains and a robust jobs market is empty, just like the bellies of millions of hungry Filipinos,” an independent think tank, Ibon, said.

According to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, the number of Filipinos experiencing involuntary hunger has more than doubled since the start of the current administration, from 11.6 percent, or some 2.9 million families, in June 2022 to 27.2 percent, or 7.5 million families, in March 2025.

Persistent low incomes and high prices are likely behind the rise in hunger. Ibon estimates that, nationwide, the average daily minimum wage of P469 falls way below the P1,227 living wage for a family of five as of February 2025.

An indirect indicator of low incomes is the number of households without savings, which increased to 20.1 million households, or 74 percent of the total, in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data.

Meanwhile, according to inflation data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, the overall price level of food has increased by 16 percent between June 2022 and February 2025.

Instead of focusing on political mudslinging, those in power should direct their attention to the gut issues facing Filipinos before the political temperature sizzles to a boiling point.