TUCP Criticizes DTI's P500 Noche Buena Budget as Insufficient Amid Wage Hike Stalemate

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has strongly criticized the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) assertion that P500 is an adequate budget for this year’s Noche Buena celebration. TUCP House Deputy Speaker and representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza emphasized the impracticality of urging Filipinos to reduce their holiday spending when wage increases remain stalled.

Mendoza remarked, "It is out of this world, out of touch, and completely out of tune with the harsh reality our people live every day." He highlighted the ongoing struggles of workers denied a long-overdue P200 daily wage increase, even as public frustration mounts over billions allegedly wasted on ineffective flood control projects.

The lawmaker is actively advocating for legislation that would implement a P200 increase in the daily minimum wage for all private-sector workers.

Earlier, DTI Secretary Maria Cristina Aldeguer-Roque defended the P500 budget, stating, "Puwede siya talaga. Kung tutuusin, it’s really pasok for a family of four." Additionally, a DTI press officer noted that the affordability depends on purchase choices, referencing cheaper pre-packaged items such as chopsuey, rice noodles, and soy sauce.

In response, Mendoza urged DTI officials to refrain from instructing Filipinos on how to stretch already strained budgets, saying, "Rather than setting what should be 'enough,' the Government must ensure that everyday Filipinos earn enough, either by taking less through taxes or giving more through wage increases. Trust will never be rebuilt by a Government that can justify a P500 Noche Buena while blocking a P200 wage hike."