Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas is pushing to lower the wage of the congressmen and senators so the lawmakers can experience the life of normal citizens of the country.
According to him, lawmakers receiving minimum wage can see the real situation of the ordinary Filipinos who have a hard time budgeting their monthly salaries for their daily needs.
Brosas pointed out that lawmakers cannot find a solution to the main problems of the country if they’re not going to experience it.
“Para maramdaman ang pagiging ordinaryong mamamayan sa bansang Pilipinas, para malaman sa katotohanan magkano talaga budget para sa basic needs, sapat ba talaga para sa pamasahe, pagkain at iba pang gastusin,” Brosas said.
“Bilang ehemplo ng public service, dapat manguna tayo sa aksyon at solusyon batay sa tunay na kalagayan, paano malalaman kung ano ang solusyon kung hindi ito mararanasan?”
Lawmakers are receiving P117,086 every month while minimum wage earners are receiving 270-537 pesos every day.
NCR has the highest minimum wage of 537 pesos, however, Brosas said that its already not enough to sustain the needs of an average Filipino with five members.
Meanwhile, Laguna 3rd District Rep. Sol Aragones said that she’s respecting the proposal of Brosas. However, she stated that there might be some other ways for lawmakers to see the problems of ordinary Filipinos.
Aragones also said that the Civil Service Commission (CSC) is the agency mandated to set the salaries of public officials.
“Kung gusto nating pag-aralan talaga ang nararanasan ng ating mga kababayan baka may iba pang paraan para gawin ‘yun,” she said.
Brosas made the proposal a day after Iligan City Rep. Frederick Siao proposed that all elected officials should use public transportation every Monday to personally experience the problems in the country.