Advocacy Group Proposes Minimum Wage of PHP 1,200
LiveWire:
It's high time for the 122nd Labor Day celebration, and the Nonoy Librado Development Foundation (NLDF) is making waves with their demands. They're calling for a national minimum wage of P1,200 and stronger legal protections for gig and platform-based workers.
The NLDF points out that the current minimum wage in Davao City is a puny P501, way below the estimated family living wage of P1,182 as of March 2025. This wage gap is a significant challenge for working families, according to the foundation.
But it's not just about the numbers. NLDF also underlines the pressing need for legislation that safeguards gig or platform-based workers. With an estimated 1.5 million Filipinos engaged in these kinds of jobs, they're still locked out of the country's labor laws.
Enter Leah Emily Miñoza, the executive director of NLDF. She's urging the national government to pass the Living Wage Act and the proposed Magna Carta for Workers in the Digital Economy. These bills promise social protection, job security, and the right to organize for digital workers.
"Decent work can't coexist with poverty wages," Miñoza stated. "Workers' rights shouldn't be left to the whims of algorithms. Dignified work should be a given, not a roll of the dice."
Miñoza notes that the number of platform workers continues to grow, yet there's no clear legislative agenda to protect them. Many of these workers, especially those in ride-hailing and delivery services, face low and unstable incomes, long working hours, and lack access to social security and health insurance.
These workers bear the brunt of fuel costs, maintenance, and mobile data charges, leaving them with little take-home pay," she added. "The lack of transparency in algorithms makes them easy prey for exploitation."
She also critiques the common misclassification of platform workers as independent contractors, freelancers, or partners, which leaves them legally invisible and unprotected.
Miñoza referenced a now-amended ordinance in Davao City that previously required delivery riders to obtain business permits. She commended local lawmakers for correcting this in December 2024, calling it a "positive step."
Meanwhile, labor groups led by Kilusang Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao (KMU-SMR) and Bayan Muna Party-list held a Labor Day rally at Freedom Park on Roxas Avenue, demanding a P1,200 minimum wage and stronger worker protections.
In the Davao Region, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) recently approved a P29 daily wage increase under Wage Order No. RB XI-23. Effective March 7, 2025, the minimum wage now stands at P510 for non-agriculture workers and P505 for those in agriculture.
Domestic workers also received an increase under Wage Order No. RBXI-DW-03, which took effect on March 6, 2024. They now earn P6,000 monthly in chartered cities and first-class municipalities, and P5,000 in other areas.
Despite these adjustments, labor advocates argue that current regional wage hikes remain far below the living wage. They continue to call for a legislated P1,200 national minimum wage to address income inequality and uplift all Filipino workers.
Insights:
- The proposed Magna Carta for IT Professionals specifically targets government ICT workers rather than platform workers in the digital economy.
- While the Magna Carta for IT Professionals isn't directly related to platform workers, its momentum could influence future policies for private-sector digital workers.
- Specific legislation for platform workers, such as the Magna Carta for Workers in the Digital Economy, could potentially follow the example set by recent specialized labor charters like the Magna Carta for Filipino Seafarers.
- The Nonoy Librado Development Foundation (NLDF) is advocating for a national minimum wage of P1,200 and stronger legal protections for gig and platform-based workers, highlighting the current minimum wage in Davao City as P501, far below the family living wage.
- Leah Emily Minoza, executive director of NLDF, is urging the national government to pass the Living Wage Act and the proposed Magna Carta for Workers in the Digital Economy, promising social protection, job security, and the right to organize for digital workers.
- Despite the growth in the number of platform workers, there's no clear legislative agenda to protect them, with many facing low and unstable incomes, long working hours, and lack of access to social security and health insurance.
- Many platform workers bear the brunt of fuel costs, maintenance, and mobile data charges, leaving them with little take-home pay, and the lack of transparency in algorithms makes them easy prey for exploitation.
- common misclassification of platform workers as independent contractors, freelancers, or partners leaves them legally invisible and unprotected.
- In Davao City, a now-amended ordinance previously required delivery riders to obtain business permits, which was corrected in December 2024, recognized as a "positive step" by labor advocates.
- The proposed Magna Carta for IT Professionals targets government ICT workers, but its momentum could influence future policies for private-sector digital workers, potentially leading to specific legislation for platform workers like the Magna Carta for Workers in the Digital Economy.


