Partido Reporma senatorial candidate Guillermo Eleazar on Wednesday called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to immediately resolve the petitions seeking increases in the minimum wage.

"I am urging DOLE’s central and regional offices to work double-time to address and resolve these petitions,” Eleazar said in a statement.

On Monday, the National Wages and Productivity Commission said six regional wage boards have already received petitions for wage hike -- National Capital Region (NCR), Regions 3 (Central Luzon), 4-A (Calabarzon), 6 (Western Visayas), 7 (Central Visayas), and 8 (Eastern Visayas).

Eleazar also hopes that the decision on these petitions will be equitable and just for both employees and employers.

The DOLE earlier said it could not give an exact period on when the decisions on these petitions would be released as the boards will still have to process them based on rules and regulations.

Eleazar said this is also among the things he wants to look into if he secures a seat in the Senate.

He wants to simplify government processes so that the public can be given more efficient and responsive services.

As this developed, Eleazar also appealed to local government units (LGUs) to allocate funds that would further increase the monthly “ayuda” (financial aid) from the national government to their respective constituents.

Eleazar said that assistance on top of the PHP500 additional monthly subsidy that President Rodrigo Duterte approved to be distributed to vulnerable sectors affected by the oil price hikes would be of big help amid the increase in the prices of the basic goods in the past days.

“But now that the President has responded to the call of the people, I am also urging the local government units to pitch in so that their constituents who would receive this financial assistance would have more amid the increase in the prices of the basic goods,” he added. (with Priam F. Nepomuceno/PNA)

(Photo credits to: PNA)