The continued drop in the approval rating of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was in part because of the lack of action on laws concerning the increase in wages of workers, a lawmaker said.
Kamanggagawa Partylist Rep. Eli San Fernando expressed that the result of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) for the first quarter of 2026 was reflective of the decision of the current administration to deflect blame when it came to the passage of key reforms.
“The -13 rating of PBBM was a huge slap to Usec. Claire Castro and the Palace. Sweet words and coming up with alibis can not excuse the plummeting net satisfaction rating of the President. That is the judgment of workers and the ordinary Filipino that the government continues to undermine,” San Fernando said in Filipino.
The solon’s remarks sought to address the statement of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) undersecretary during her press briefing last 16 June, asserting that it was not the job of the President to create legislation aimed at increasing the national minimum wage.
Castro further implied that Congress in its capacity to pass laws should not pass blame for its supposed “laziness” and “inability to perform their duty” on the executive branch as Marcos was performing his obligation according to the law.
“That is your obligation, you should devise the law, you should debate about it, and you should provide the bill so the law can be passed,” the official said referring to lawmakers.
However, for San Fernando, such a take on the matter merely showed that Castro and the Palace were “hiding behind technicalities” in an effort to deceive the public over their lack of action on the matter.
He maintained that the President has the power to consider a bill as priority and include it in the consideration of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) which highlights the important measures that the legislative branch of government should act upon.
“Every ordinary Filipino knows that if the President really wanted to, there is a way; if he doesn’t, there are many excuses. To claim the President has no hand in wages is to treat the president as a mere spectator while workers suffer from frozen pay and soaring inflation,” he said.
Last April, the inflation rate in the country had ballooned to a three-year high of 7.2 percent, indicating that the country’s economy was struggling and unable to cope with the rising demand and supply costs around the country.
Much of the Philippine economy’s struggle was also emphasized through the exchange rate of the United States (US) dollar to Philippine peso which is currently sitting at P60.72 for every $1 from a previous high of P62.86 around March of this year.
San Fernando said that the executive branch could not simply state that it does not influence policies particularly when it comes to funds, pointing out the stance of the President’s economic team along with Executive Secretary Ralph Recto and their continued opposition to the decrease in Value Added Tax (VAT).
“Don’t let them tell you that economic managers only recommend. Who was the person that is blocking the legislated wage hike through the committee hearings? Who continues to stand firm against the removal, decrease, or even the suspension of VAT and excise tax on oil and electricity? Was it not the economic team of the President?” the solon raised.
“If the administration continues to treat workers’ survival as someone else’s job, then they should get used to hitting rock bottom in the surveys,” he added.
As part of the nearing State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Marcos on 27 July, the lawmaker called on the media to question the President head on concerning the stall in the laws concerning wage reform.
He noted that the SONA would be a true reflection of whether Marcos was truly concerned about the ordinary workers in the country or if his speech would simply look to appeal to stakeholders while undermining the struggle of Filipinos.