Press Release - Estrada: Transcript: Interpellation- wage hike bill

SBR On this note, will the good. Uh, gentleman from San Juan, my best friend, my good friend, yield to some clarificatory questions.

SJE Mr. President, how can I, uh, refuse my ka-kosa,

SBR Okay, Mr. President. Ang tagal na natin hinihingi itongincrease na ito, 14th Congress pa lang 2008 kung hindi ako nagkakamali. 125 pesos na yung umento ng sahod na hinihingi natin tapos habang nagtatagal umabot na ng P150 na gusto sana natin na increase. Bakit po naging P100 lang ang proposed increase natin?

SJE Thank you, Mr. President. The proposed increase to P100 is based on the consultations made by the committee with, uh, including the stakeholders concerned, but the original proposal was one hundred fifty pesos across the board, ngunit marami pong kontra dito. Particularly yung mga business establishments. If, my memory serve me right, nagtaas ang Regional Wage Board ng P40 dito sa Metro Manila nagkaronng wage hike dito sa Metro Manila kaya ngaing P610 ang ,minimum wage. Kung idadagdag natin ang P150, marami ng aalmang establishments kaya ni-lower down natin to P100.I think that is more reasonable. And we took into consideration the increase granted by the Regional Wage board, which ranges from P30 pesos to 89 pesos in most regions last year. Hence, the committee came up with P100 increase only for the minimum wage earners, again, only for the minimum wage earners. Across the board.

SBR: Kailan po ba tayo huling nakapag pasa ng batas para magkaroon ng across the board the umento sa sahod ng ating mga manggagawa?

SJE I think we were here, uh, during the last, uh, I think 13th Congress when I passed the P125 pesos across the board here in the Senate. But unfortunately, it did not touch first base in the house. And, uh, I think they withdrew the, the, uh, bill in the house. First of all, the bill, they approved the bill in the house for 125 peso across the board wage increase. They elevated it, when it reached in the Senate, I as, your chair of the Committee on Labor then, again, passed the same bill. Actually we adopted the bill of the House of Representatives, but unfortunately when we passed it, the, uh, house of Representatives, I do not know among the congressmen