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

The petition, filed Thursday by United Labor-Panay, was accompanied by a protest action joined by allied organizations, underscoring growing calls for wage adjustments as workers grapple with rising living expenses.

The group argued that the current regional minimum wage of P550 is no longer sufficient, especially as inflationary pressures continue to affect household budgets. It cited estimates from IBON Foundation placing the family living wage in the region at P1,030 per day.

Labor leaders said the recent spike in global oil prices has worsened the financial strain on workers, driving up transportation and commodity costs.

They also criticized the long-standing wage-setting framework under the Wage Rationalization Act, arguing that regional wage boards have failed to substantially improve workers’ real purchasing power since their establishment in 1989.

Beyond the petition, the alliance reiterated its broader call for a national minimum wage policy and urged the government to consider wage subsidies or tax relief for micro and small enterprises to cushion the impact of wage increases.

The group maintained that raising workers’ purchasing power would stimulate local economic activity rather than weaken it.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board has yet to issue a formal response to the petition.