‘Source’ denies remark on wage hike exemption

WE WISH to call attention to Judy Quiros’ news report titled “Iran embargo used as excuse to exempt firms from wage hikes.” (Inquirer, 10/28/10)

The report inaccurately attributed to me this statement: “She said for the banana industry, giving wage increase to workers at this time was simply not possible.” (Paragraph 8)

I never made that statement. Neither was I interviewed by Quiros about the issue. Our records also show that she was not present during the Joint Regional Development Council XI Economic and Social Development Committee meeting on Oct. 19, where the comment was supposedly made. After the meeting, our office issued a press release which Quiros could have used as her reference. However, there was no such statement in that press release.

The statement could be subject to different interpretations, especially that it supposedly came from me, a member of the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board (RTWPB).

Also, we believe that the title of the report itself is inaccurate. The RTWPB XI has not come up with a final decision on the wage exemptions for banana companies as a result of the Iran embargo. As a standard operating procedure, matters on wage adjustments are publicly announced by the RTWPB XI chair who is the director of the Department of Labor and Employment, in an ex-officio capacity. Given this, we would appreciate a correction to that news item in the interest of responsible journalism and to erase any wrong impression that may have been created by the statement wrongly attributed to me.

—MARIA LOURDES D. LIM,
Ceso II, regional director,
National Economic and
Development Authority,
Region XI-Davao

The report merely stated that “(s)he (Regional Director Maria Lourdes Lim) said for the banana industry, giving wage increase to workers at this time was simply not possible.” It did not say she favored the exemption. Yes, I wrote the story based on the Neda statement e-mailed to me. I never said in the story that I was there during the meeting.
—JUDY QUIROS,
correspondent, Inquirer Mindanao