30/04/2026
NUWHRAIN-SENTRO-IUF-AKBAYAN✊🏼
QUEZON CITY – Ahead of Labor Day public and private sector workers, alongside the Akbayan Partylist and allied youth, at a press conference on Thursday called for the legislation and enforcement of a wealth tax in conjunction with calls from other labor groups for a decrease in ordinary workers’ taxes.
For the involved groups, a wealth tax – if enforced – would be a step towards the redistribution of billions of pesos towards funding social protections and public access to necessities, such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.
“The ongoing energy crisis highlights the necessity of a wealth tax, especially since regular citizens and workers could hardly keep up with rising costs while the elite continue to hoard their wealth. Wages alone are hardly sufficient for the survival of entire families and households, let alone affording them a chance at a decent life. With workers barely surviving, what more those who are unemployed or underemployed? Establishing and enforcing a wealth tax would help ensure that workers, regardless of working status, can be afforded the necessary social protections,” said Josua Mata, Secretary General of SENTRO.
“Deserve ng bawat Pilipino ang chance na umasenso at guminhawa ang buhay. Pero mahirap ito matupad kung concentrated ang yaman at resources ng bansa sa iilan. Our Solidarity Contribution Bill will tax the richest 1% and redistribute resources and opportunity to all Filipinos,” said Akbayan Partylist representative, Cong. Perci Cendana.
Among the sectors represented in the press conference include youth, delivery platform riders, informal sector workers, and private sector workers.
“Entire academic and public-forward institutions have remained underfunded and under-resourced for years. A solid wealth tax would be a step towards strengthening these institutions for the benefit and the development of our youth,” said Claire De Lune Lopez of Akbayan Youth.
In tandem with the wealth tax, the concerned groups emphasized the long-overdue need for a legislated national wage increase of at least Php 200.
“Kahit bago pa man ang krisis sa enerhiya dulot ng digmaan ng US-Israel laban sa Iran, nagmamahal na ang presyo ng bilihin. Pero itong krisis, pinalala ang mga gastusin. Nagtaas-presyo kada litro ang langis, kaya bawas ‘yun sa kita ng mga delivery rider at mga trabahador ng transport sektor – tapos uuwi kami’t makikita na dagdag din ang singil naman sa kuryente. Itong krisis ay alaala sa halaga ng dagdag-sahod para sa mga manggagawa. Isang dagdag-sahod na sapat para sa bawat manggagawa, kahit ano pa man ang trabaho nila, para sa isang disenteng pamumuhay,” said Lemuel Cabantog, National President of the National Union of Food Delivery Riders (RIDERS-SENTRO).
“Ang paglago ng aming maliliit na kabuhayan ay malaking tulong sa pagpapalakas at pag-unlad ng ating ekonomiya. Bilang mga mamamayang walang kasiguraduhan sa pang-araw-araw na ikinabubuhay, nararapat lamang na bigyan ng sapat na atensyon at tugon ang aming kahilingan—kabilang na ang pagbibigay ng proteksyon at mga programang makakatulong sa aming mga manggagawa sa impormal na sektor. Nakikiisa rin kami sa panawagan ng mga manggagawa sa pormal na sektor para sa pagtaas ng sahod. Kapag may dagdag na kita ang mga manggagawa, mas may kakayahan silang bumili ng pagkain, damit, at iba pang pangangailangan mula sa mga lokal na tindahan. Ang mas mataas na kakayahang bumili ay hindi lamang magpapalago ng ating ekonomiya, kundi magpapabuti rin sa kalagayan ng bawat pamilyang Pilipino,” said Caren Balance Martinez, part of the Board of Trustees of the Small Entrepreneurs for Livelihood Development Association (SELDA).
“Sa pinaka sentro ng ating mga panawagan para sa Wealth tax at dagdag sahod ay karapatan. Karapatan ng bawat mamamayan na merong ospital, na sapat ang pondo para sa bawat pasyente; na merong eskwelahan, na sapat ang pondo para sa kalidad na pag-aaral ng ating mga anak. Hindi gahaman ang nagpapatakbo sa aming panawagan, kundi ang kaalaman na karapatan ng bawat manggagawa na mabuhay na merong dignidad,” said Carl Medel, Vice President of the Century Park Hotel Employees Labor Union under the National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant, and Allied Industries.
The groups concluded the press conference reaffirming their commitment to join other workers formations and civil society organizations for Labor Day, and to resound their calls for wage increase and wealth taxation.
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