MANILA, Philippines — Kinuwestiyon ng ilang miyembro ng Kamara ang pagdeklara ng World Bank na upper-middle-income country na ang Pilipinas, dahil hindi umano nito sinasalamin ang patuloy na paghihirap ng maraming pamilyang Pilipino.
Ayon kay Caloocan City 2nd district Rep. Edgar “Egay” Erice, halos walang saysay ang naturang klasipikasyon para sa karamihan ng mga Pilipino na ang kita ay nananatiling mas mababa sa naiulat na national average.
Sinabi ni Erice na ibinatay ng World Bank ang klasipikasyon sa Gross National Income per capita ng bansa na lumampas sa threshold na US$4,635. Gayunman, iginiit niya na hindi nito tunay na naipapakita ang kalagayan ng mga pamilyang Pilipino at sa halip ay natatakpan ang matinding income inequality sa bansa.
“The income of most Filipinos is significantly lower than the reported per capita income. The figure hides the enormous gap between the poor and middle class on one hand, and the very small number of extremely wealthy Filipinos on the other,” pahayag ni Erice.
Ayon sa mambabatas, napapalaki ng yaman ng iilang pinakamayayamang Pilipino ang national average income.
“To illustrate, if a billionaire enters a room with 99 penniless people, the average wealth of everyone in that room would immediately skyrocket. Yet the reality remains that 99 of the 100 people are still poor,” ani Erice.
Hinimok ni Erice ang pamahalaan na maglabas ng mas detalyadong income data ayon sa economic class, kabilang ang poor, lower-middle class, middle class, upper-middle class, at wealthy, upang magkaroon ng mas malinaw na batayan ang paggawa ng mga programa.
“The government should present the average income of Filipino households according to economic class—the poor, lower-middle class, middle class, upper-middle class, and the wealthy. This would provide a clearer picture of the real condition of Filipino families and help policymakers design programs that directly address the needs of each sector,” aniya.
Kinuwestiyon din ng Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list ang Marcos administration’s economic managers at hinamong patunayan ang upper-middle-income status ng bansa sa pamamagitan ng pagsuporta sa mas mataas na sahod para sa mahigit limang milyong minimum wage earners at pagpapabuti sa kalagayan ng lower-middle-income workers.
“We cannot celebrate being an upper-middle income country while millions of Filipino workers continue to live on low wages. Even lower-middle income workers are being squeezed by heavy taxes and poor-quality public services,” ayon sa party-list, na ang nominee sa 20th Congress ay si Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza.
“It does not make any sense for our economic managers to boast of this higher national status while continuing to shortchange workers by claiming, time and again, that a badly needed legislated wage hike, the first in 37 years since 1989, only spells doom for our economy and businesses,” ayon sa TUCP.
Iginiit ng TUCP na hindi maituturing na tunay ang paglago kung ang pinakamayayaman lamang ang nakikinabang habang patuloy na nahihirapan ang middle class at pinakamahihirap.
“For workers and ordinary Filipinos, the Philippines can only be an upper-middle income country if it starts to act as one, or else, it is a mere feel-good soundbite out of desperation and detached from the daily hardships of Filipino families,” dagdag ng TUCP.
Sinabi rin ng TUCP na hindi sapat na pumasok ang pamahalaan sa “legacy mode” sa natitirang dalawang taon ng Marcos administration sa pamamagitan lamang ng pagkilala sa income inequality at malalabong pangako ng mas magandang trabaho nang walang kongkretong aksyon.
Pinuna rin ni Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando ang tila pagdiriwang ng pamahalaan sa bagong klasipikasyon at nanawagan ng mas mataas na sahod.
“In reality, may maniniwala ba na sa 115 milyong Pilipino, lahat tayo kumikita on average taun-taon ng nasa P150,000 hanggang P270,000? Eh yung minimum wage mo nga, short of P15,000 to P16,000 lang ang kinikita kada buwan. Misleading ang ipinipinta nito sa tunay na kalagayan ng bansa,” pahayag ni San Fernando sa online interview nitong Huwebes.
“If the government is so eager to boast about a higher global classification, then it should also be equally eager to pull its workers out of the margins by raising wages that reflect an actual upper-middle-income standard,” ani San Fernando.
“Tandaan natin, 52 percent of Filipino families consider themselves poor. All of our regional minimum wages are below the poverty threshold. Kalokohan ang sabihing upper-middle-income country tayo habang patuloy ang panggigipit sa sahod ng mga manggagawa,” dagdag niya. RNT
