ILOILO CITY — A labor coalition has formally petitioned the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board for a P250 daily wage increase across Western Visayas, citing rising fuel prices, inflation, and the widening gap between minimum wages and the estimated family living wage in the region.

The petition, filed Thursday by United Labor-Panay, was accompanied by a protest action joined by allied organizations, highlighting growing calls for wage adjustments as workers continue to struggle with rising living costs.

The group said the current regional minimum wage of P550 is no longer sufficient, as inflation continues to erode household purchasing power. It cited IBON Foundation estimates placing the family living wage in Western Visayas at P1,030 per day.

Labor leaders also pointed to the recent spike in global oil prices, saying this has further increased transportation and commodity costs, placing additional pressure on workers’ incomes.

They criticized the existing wage-setting system under the Wage Rationalization Act, arguing that regional wage boards have not significantly improved real wages since their establishment in 1989.

Beyond the wage hike petition, the alliance renewed its call for a national minimum wage policy and urged the government to consider wage subsidies or tax relief for micro and small enterprises to help cushion the impact of any adjustment.

The group maintained that higher wages would not hurt the economy but instead boost local consumption and economic activity.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has yet to issue an official response to the petition.