CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board III supports the call for activation/reactivation of all Local Price Coordinating Councils (LPCCs) in Central Luzon to stabilize prices of basic necessities and prime commodities.
After reviewing the minimum wage rates in Central Luzon, which turned one year in effectivity on 01 January 2021, the Wage Board passed Resolution No. 5, Series of 2020, supporting the call of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI Region III) and Department of Agriculture (DA Region III) to activate/reactivate LPCCs in provincial, city and municipal levels. Creation of LPCCs is mandated under Republic Act No. 7581 otherwise known as the “Price Act”.
The Wage Board, composed of DOLE Regional Director as chairperson, NEDA and DTI Regional Directors as vice-chairpersons, and two representatives each from the labor and employer sectors, observes that prices of basic necessities and prime commodities in public and private markets sometimes get unreasonable and excessive, especially during periods of calamity, emergency and similar situations.
“Workers are primary consumers and as such, they shall be provided with protection against hoarding, profiteering and cartels with respect to pricing of goods,” the Resolution reads. It further adds that “minimum wage increase in Central Luzon may be unreasonable, untimely and unlikely at present taking into consideration the adverse impact of the covid-19 pandemic among business enterprises”.
DOLE Regional Director Ma. Zenaida A. Campita, Chairperson of RTWPB Central Luzon, said that to reduce pressure on the increase of minimum wage, the Wage Board proposes to manage price increases of basic necessities and prime commodities through strict monitoring by local government authorities.
“The Wage Board is supporting the call for activating/reactivating all LPCCs in Central Luzon to manage price increases of basic commodities and to stave off further hardship among workers especially during these times when both workers and employers are gradually recovering from the catastrophic impact of the covid-19 pandemic,” Regional Director Campita said.
The Wage Board resolves that activating/reactivating the LPCCs will help “ensure stability of prices of basic necessities and prime commodities for the benefit of the workers” and “preserve the purchasing power of the existing minimum wage rates especially in times of calamity, emergency and similar situations”.
Mr. Jerome Yanson, head of the Wage Board secretariat, said that the Wage Board pass the resolution with reference to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2020, on Strengthening the Role of Local Price Coordinating Councils and the LGUs in Managing Unreasonable and Excessive Price Increase of Basic Necessities and Prime Commodities, issued by the DA, DTI, DILG, DENR and DOH. He said that a copy of the resolution was endorsed to DILG Region 3 and other agencies for consideration by concerned stakeholders.
