This study determined the sufficiency of the minimum wage (Php298 per day as of the year 2008) in sustaining the basic needs of the minimum wage earners and their family.
The respondents were the 80 minimum wage earners who were the sole earners in the family from the non-agricultural sector living and working in Calamba City for the Year 2008. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to gather the necessary data.
The study utilized simple descriptive methods of research, such as frequency distribution, percentages, averages, formula on standard of living based on the classification forwarded by Imperial et al. in 1999, and cross tabulation to establish associations between variables. The researcher also used inferential statistics such as ANOVA and chi-square method to treat the data.
Findings revealed that the workers’ per capita income is sufficient to cover their per capita expense, which made the majority of minimum wage earners fall under the classification of Level #5 or Liberal Standard of Living.
As a recommendation, the government, through RTWPB, must continuously implement the minimum wage legislation to protect the welfare of the workers from abusive employers. Close monitoring of the mandated benefits like SSS should also be done. There should also be a consistent monitoring of food prices in the market to ensure its affordability and availability, because results revealed that food expenses constituted the largest portion of the respondents’ expenditure.
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