By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Considering that foreign enterprises give wages that are 74% higher than that of Filipino companies, Albay’s 2nd district Representative Joey Salceda has stressed that economic Charter change (Cha-Cha) is needed to address low wages.

Salceda, head of the ways and means panel, made the statement in reaction to a Senate bill seeking a P100 legislated wage increase.

“May mga SMEs (small and medium enterprises) na hindi kakayanin iyong P600 minimum wage per day…kung plus P100…magtatanggal sila ng tao para lang kayanin ang P700. I am sympathetic, really, on wage hikes, but one reason (not to agree) is 99% of our enterprises are SMEs. Would you like to kill them?” Salceda asked.

The Bicolano solon said to achieve higher wages, it is necessary to expand the country’s economy and attract more foreign investors.

“We have to expand our economy for this and that can only be done with economic Cha-cha,” Salceda said.

Marikina’s 2nd district Rep. Stella F. Alabastro-Quimbo, the vice chairperson of the appropriations committee, also junked the proposed P100 legislated wage increase.

“When we increase minimum wage, and this is for all firms, what do you think will happen? Ang gagawin po ng mga kumpanya ay ipapasa po nila ang pagtaas ng minimum wage sa presyo, kaya inaasahan po natin ang inflationary problem,” Quimbo explained.

On Monday (12 February 2024), Salceda and Quimbo aired concerns that the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be adversely affected by the P100 legislated wage hike.

However, Quimbo and Salceda said allowing foreign capital ownership in vital industries by amending the 1987 Constitution will address this lack of funding for a legislated wage hike.

“We need to deal with the sources of inflation. Increasing the minimum wage, we can do that if there is a productivity increase… We need to expand our economy, and that is why we are pushing for economic Cha-cha,” Quimbo said, echoing Salceda’s stance to expand the country’s economy.

The two economist-lawmakers cited the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results wherein the Philippines placed as the sixth lowest among the 81 countries and economies participating in the study.

It was gathered that Salceda graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Management Engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1982 and received his master’s degree in Business Management at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM).

On the other hand, Quimbo graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Economics summa cum laude (1991), a Master of Arts in economics (1993), and a Doctor of Philosophy in Economics (2000) from the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman campus in Quezon City.

She was also a professor and a former department chairperson of the UP School of Economics.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Albay Representative Joey Salceda expressed his support to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s amending the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution, saying that the Philippines has been left behind by its Asean neighbors.

Salceda said that the move will make the country more competitive and attract more foreign investment.

Salceda supported the President’s opinions, adding that the Philippines has not opened up to foreign investment and has already been already overtaken by its Southeast Asian neighbors in terms of development and competitiveness.

“Iyong ba talaga ang ano nila, hindi ba dapat ang debate nakakaganda na ito, okay ba sa inyo iyong Constitution na ito, na sarado ang Pilipinas napag-iiwanan ka. Ano na lang ba ang hindi natin mahabol, Cambodia iniwanan na tayo in five years. Dati una tayo diyan sa Thailand, naiwanan tayo,” the lawmaker said.

“Make a new Constitution, naiiwanan tayo ng isang country. Eh sabihin na nating walang mali sa Constitution… ang problema, iyong ibang countries may ginawang tama – nagbukas sila,” he said.

Salceda claims that restrictions on franchises, public utilities, property ownership, natural resources, mass media, education, and professional practice are impeding development-related investments.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — It’s all over but the shouting, as Albay Rep. Joey Salceda on Wednesday (24 Jan 2024) claimed that the people’s initiative (PI) drive has already gathered enough signatures to initiate an amendment to the 1987 Constitution despite strong opposition by the entire Senate.

“Why don’t we listen to the people?” Salceda said.

He pointed out that the people have spoken and the Senate has to respect their decision.

“Yes, definitely as of last night (Tuesday, January 23), we’ve reached the 12.1 [percent] threshold,” Salceda told reporters.

He noted that the 1987 Constitution requires a “people’s initiative” to amend the Charter to have the signatures of at least 12 percent of voters nationwide and 3 percent of voters in each of the 254 legislative districts.

Salceda underscored that the next step now is filing the petition and requesting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to validate the signatures.

“The Constitution is alive, buhay na buhay po ang Constitution. Kung akala nila ganoon kahirap yung paghanap nung 12 percent, may mga distrito tulad ng distrito ko 20 percent. May mga 30 percent,” the Albay lawmaker said.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Barring the proverbial “deux ex machina” or unforeseen circumstances, Albay Representative Joey Salceda on Friday bared that proponents of people’s initiative (PI) for Charter change (Cha-cha) are aiming to have the plebiscite by July this year.

Salceda said the PI proponents — who he did not identify — expect to reach the required number of signatures by then.

“As far as it was explained to me by the proponents, they want to hit it before July… July plebiscite,” the Albay lawmaker revealed on Tina Panganiban Perez’s report on Unang Balita in GMA-7.

Article XVII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution states: “Amendments to this Constitution may likewise be directly proposed by the people through initiative upon a petition of at least twelve (12) per centum of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least three (3) per centum of the registered votes therein.”

“I think most of the country, I think by next week, we must have already achieved the 12%. It was a question lang talaga of physically submitting it to the local Comelec (Commission on Elections),” Salceda said.

Earlier, political analyst Ronald Llamas said the 2028 presidential ambition of Vice President Sara Duterte might be derailed if the charter change (Cha-Cha) pushes through.

Some groups like the Diskarteng Pinoy in Region 7 are pushing for a shift to a unicameral parliamentary system of government.

On December 13 last year, Senator Imee Marcos apparently ribbed her own cousin Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in her comment about Cha-Cha.

“Baka may gusto mag-Prime Minister na hindi manalo sa Presidente,” she quipped.

Political observers told Maharlika NuMedia that “politics appear to be thicker than blood” as Sen. Marcos who is known to be “close to VP Duterte” may likely dump Romualdez and run as Inday Sara’s s vice presidential team mate in 2028.

(el Amigo/MNM)