Senate rallies behind legislated wage hike; House to proceed with 'caution'

MANILA, Philippines — Buoyed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s order to review the minimum wage rates in all regions, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Thursday urged the president to tag as urgent a bill that legislates a P100 minimum wage hike for all private sector workers.

Zubiri said that the proposed P100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act — which the upper chamber passed on final reading in February — is "the best gift that the President can give to all our workers."

"Perhaps it can even be certified as urgent, given the continued spike in the prices of goods owing to inflation," said Zubiri, who is also the primary author of Senate Bill 2534.

The senator also reminded the House of Representatives that it is now up to them to inch the proposed legislated wage hike forward.  

"All we need is the House counterpart measure, and this will be immediately felt across the sector," said Zubiri.

House lawmakers, which have been cool to the Senate's proposed wage hike bills, have meanwhile vowed to "carefully" review the measure.

Bills proposing to increase workers' pay rates have stalled for years in Congress and are usually met with resistance from economists and groups representing both big and small businesses. 

Wage hike bills are typically opposed by business groups that cite its possible impact on micro, small and medium enterprises but championed by laborers seeking a respite from soaring prices. 

Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva said in his Labor Day message that the P100 wage increase would "pave the way for the living wage we are promoting as the standard for setting wages." 
 
Senators Koko Pimentel and Sonny Angara also welcomed the president's directive to the regional wage boards. However, Pimentel said that a legislated wage hike would better address workers' needs instead of waiting for regional boards to approve a new rate.

Meanwhile, House lawmakers said in a press conference on Thursday that they will be "carefully" deliberating wage hike proposals as they remain open to calls for a higher nationwide pay rate.

Rep. Faustino Dy (Isabela, 6th District) said "there’s clearly a process for something as difficult to tackle as the wage