Nograles pushes P200 wage increase

RIZAL 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles urged Filipinos to support the proposed P200 wage hike.

The P200 legislated across the board salary increase among private sector workers was approved by the House Labor and Employment Committee led by Nograles.

It was higher than the proposed P150 hike.

Rizal 4th District Rep. Fidel Nograles Photo from House of Representatives

«The wage hike bill is a much-needed measure that could bring relief to millions of minimum wage workers across the whole country,» Nograles said in a statement Friday.

The approval came after a meeting on Tuesday between lawmakers led by Speaker Martin Romualdez and major labor groups.

Nograles said the 2.9 percent increase in inflation in December, which was 2.5 percent higher than the previous month, necessitated prompt action.

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«We believe that the wage hike is an important intervention considering the skyrocketing prices of basic needs,» he added.

Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the measure as urgent, noting she disagreed with claims by the business community that wage increase would lead to losses.

At the Senate, Sen. Joel Villanueva issued the same plea to the president.

Villanueva said that the country's 5.6 percent economic growth in 2024 should benefit Filipino workers.

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«The window for the 19th Congress is slowly closing, which is why we need to speed up discussions and ensure the bill's passage before we adjourn,» he added.

Senate Bill 2534, or the P100 Minimum Wage Hike Increase measure, which Villanueva co-authored, was approved on third reading on Feb. 19, 2024.

Villanueva also filed Senate Bill 2140, which seeks to establish a standard for a living wage to ensure that Filipino workers earn enough to support their families and improve quality of life.