• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
While it welcomed the economic relief measures announced by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during his State of the Nation Address (SONA), the National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (NACUSIP-TUCP) expressed concern over what it described as the administration’s failure to address stagnant wages and the worsening crisis in the country’s sugar industry.
In a statement, NACUSIP-TUCP national president Roland de la Cruz described the President’s SONA as “admirable” for introducing financial relief aimed at easing the burden on low- and middle-income Filipino families.
Among the measures welcomed by the labor group were the proposed increase in the annual income tax exemption threshold from P250,000 to P350,000, initiatives to reduce electricity costs, and the strengthening of targeted financial assistance programs for vulnerable sectors.
De la Cruz said labor leaders remain united in pushing for long-term structural reforms beyond temporary economic assistance.
Despite welcoming the relief measures, NACUSIP-TUCP said the President’s address failed to tackle the issue of wage stagnation amid rising inflation.
“While tax exemptions and subsidies offer vital breathing room, they do not solve the fundamental crisis of frozen salaries,” De la Cruz said.
He noted that with headline inflation averaging 4.8 percent during the first half of the year, workers continue to lose purchasing power despite tax relief.
Dela Cruz argued that workers earning less than P350,000 annually would still struggle to meet basic needs if wages remain unchanged while the prices of essential goods continue to increase.
Moreover, NACUSIP-TUCP criticized the President’s omission of issues affecting the sugar industry, particularly the alleged regulatory shortcomings of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA).
The group cited the approval of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar imports under Sugar Order No. 8, saying the increased imports have driven down millsite prices to between P2,271 and P2,700 per Lkg bag, adversely affecting local sugar producers.
The labor group also raised concerns over the government’s handling of the red-striped soft scale insect infestation, claiming the SRA’s response had been ineffective and resulted in the need for a P235-million emergency assistance package for 12,400 displaced sugarcane farmers.
Looking ahead, NACUSIP-TUCP said it would work closely with Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza and other lawmakers to push for legislative measures addressing the concerns left out of the President’s SONA. | GPB
