Given a national production average of 1,000 kilos of copra in one hectare of coconut land, a typical farm family is currently earning about P10,000 a year. That’s about P833 a month, or less than P30 per day! Even if some intercropping and side jobs enable the doubling of a family’s daily income to P60, that amount will still not suffice to keep body and soul together.
Dapat, hindi ibinasura nina Ernesto Pernia, hepe ng NEDA, at Sylvestre Bello III, kalihim ng DOLE, ang mungkahing P125 na umento sa sahod ng mga manggagawa kada araw sa buong bansa, sapagkat nangangailangan ang mga manggagawa, lalo na sa kasalukuyang panahon, ng sahod na makabubuhay ng pamilya.