MANILA — The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) confirmed on Tuesday that the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) held a meeting to affirm Wage Order No. 28 on the P60 daily wage increase in the National Capital Region (NCR).
This is despite Kamanggagawa party-list Representative Elijah San Fernando saying he saw no such meeting even if he was supposedly in the same room. When asked if the meeting was held, DEPDev’s budget sponsor and House Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairperson Bella Suansing said during plenary deliberations, “Yes, Madam Speaker. DEPDev confirms.” “The DEPDev also cites that there were labor representatives and employee representatives present in the meeting,” Suansing added.
The meeting was held on September 10 at 1 p.m. at the Manila Hotel, according to Suansing.
This drew the ire of San Fernando who said he was at the same meeting room for this. “Niloloko po ang kinatawang ito at ang bulwagang ito. I was there 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. Kami nagbukas, kami rin ang nagsara. Umuwi nga ‘yung mga secretariat ng regional wage board… Deliberately niloloko ng DEPDev ang mga mambabatas,” San Fernando said.
The director-general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), now known as DEPDev, serves as the ex-officio vice chairman of the NWPC, based on the commission’s website. “Someone from the regional wage board NCR is not telling the truth. Now how can we justify ‘yung budget na hinihingi o pino-propose ng DEPDev kung simpleng usapin ng sahod ng mga manggagawa hindi masagot nang diretsahan at nang totohanan ang mga manggagawa? We demand a clarification,” San Fernando added.
Suansing also said it was not DEPDev’s intention to hide the NWPC meeting.
The appropriations committee vice chairperson offered to give San Fernando the list of attendees for the meeting to help confirm if it took place. “If it would be beneficial, I think the best course of action at least at this point in time, there is a list of people who supposedly attended the meeting. We can just give you the list of people. And we can confirm if the meeting actually took place,” Suansing said.