MANILA -- National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan urges decision makers in wage hikes to look at the possible impact on "all sectors" before implementing changes.

According to Balisacan, higher wages are something he wants, but they may increase the cost of production.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) had asked the president to certify as urgent a bill for a legislated P200 wage hike. Meanwhile, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), regional wage boards are reviewing petitions for higher pay for workers.

"What we want is those efforts to sustain. These wages are sustainable. They are not just given one time," Balisacan said on Monday.

"Talk about small-scale, medium-scale, large-scale enterprises. What will happen to them if wages are changed? You have to have that understanding. And then what happens to cost of living?" he added.

Wage hikes have already been implemented in some areas, such as CALABARZON with an approved wage hike ranging from P20 to P35, depending on the municipality.

Balisacan wants a tripartite wage negotiation to take into account how the cost of living differs in different regions.

"Let there be a discussion, a negotiation among parties-- a mechanism for such discussions," Balisacan added.

Labor groups have been clamoring for wage hikes, saying inflation has eaten away at the purchasing power of wages.