‘P20 RICE DI SAPAT, P200 UMENTO DIN DAPAT’: Labor Groups Push ₱200 Hike, Slam ‘Insufficient’ ₱20 Rice

Labor groups across the country marked Labor Day with coordinated rallies and renewed demands for a ₱200 legislated wage increase, saying that the government’s offer of ₱20 per kilo subsidized rice is “not enough” to address deepening poverty and hunger.

“₱20 bigas ay di sapat, ₱200 umento din dapat,” said Mario Andon, Partido Manggagawa Iloilo coordinator, adding that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. should certify as urgent the pending ₱200 wage hike bill in Congress.

“Offering cheap rice is not enough, as Malacañang seems to think,” Andon said. “A ₱200 wage hike plus ₱20 subsidized rice are initial steps to alleviate the conditions of poor and hungry Filipinos.”

In Iloilo City, the United Labor coalition planned a Labor Day program at 1 p.m. in front of UP Visayas, joining simultaneous nationwide actions by labor groups pushing for wage increases and broader workers’ rights.

In Manila, the National Wage Coalition staged a protest march to Mendiola starting from various assembly points along España as early as 7 a.m., while allied groups such as Kapatiran, PM Kabataan, Tara Kabataan, Dakila, and Ina ng Bayan gathered at Petron Blumentritt by 6:30 a.m.

In Cebu, labor unions converged at Fuente Osmeña at 9 a.m. for a joint program, while sugar farm workers in Bacolod held morning assemblies before marching to Bacolod Plaza in the afternoon.

In Iligan, union members held a rally in coordination with the city’s tripartite industrial peace council at the town plaza.

Andon emphasized the “Apat na Dapat” labor agenda: wage hikes, regular employment, accessible public services, and the abolition of political dynasties.

He urged the administration to complement its subsidized rice program with a certified wage hike bill if it is serious about addressing worsening socioeconomic conditions.

“Filipino workers are amplifying their demands for higher wages, regular employment, and accessible public services amid worsening economic conditions,” he said.

Citing recent surveys, Andon pointed out that over one in four Filipino families experience involuntary hunger, the highest since the pandemic, while more than half of Filipinos now consider themselves poor—the worst rate in 21 years.

“Reality on the ground contradicts the government’s rosy economic claims of low inflation and unemployment,” Andon said. “Minimum wages remain below the poverty threshold, endo is rampant, and public services like PhilHealth are being gutted to fund political patronage.”

He said many of the May 1 activities were joint actions of groups setting aside political differences in favor of shared economic goals.

“While political dynasties like the Marcoses and Dutertes battle for power and loot public coffers, workers face hunger and exploitation,” Andon said. “Enough of elite theatrics—Labor Day must unite workers across factions, regions, and generations behind a shared platform.”

“On Labor Day, labor groups will be rallying together despite electoral divides, prioritizing workers’ demands over partisan loyalties,” he added.