Malacañang said President Marcos has not yet endorsed or committed to signing the proposed P200 wage hike bill, as he awaits the outcome of bicameral deliberations and a comprehensive review of economic implications.

Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made this statement after 171 of 172 members of the House of Representatives voted to approve House Bill No. 11376, which mandates a P200 increase in the daily wage, the first legislated wage hike since 1989.

In her press briefing on Thursday, June 5, the Palace official said Marcos' position remains open-ended as the measure still up for bicameral deliberations.

"Pag-aaralan pa po ito at nariyan pa po ang Senado. Hindi pa po natatapos sa Senado ang usapin na 'yan (This will still be studied and the Senate has yet to complete its deliberations. The matter is not yet finished)," she said.

Still, Castro underscored that the President remains committed to finding a fair and practical resolution.

"Nais po ng Pangulo na maibigay ang nararapat at mas makakabuti sa manggagawang Pilipino (The President wants to provide what is fair and most beneficial for Filipino workers)," she said.

The proposed increase would override the regional wage-setting system currently administered by tripartite wage boards, which traditionally calibrate rates based on local economic conditions. This is also a point raised by Marcos in January this year.

"The thing is, we have a tripartite board that actually determines the increase in the wage. So, we still have to study it further to see how that will work together," he had said.

"I don’t know how that’s going to work together. But we will see. We will try to resolve that because, as you know, it’s very clear that tumataas ang bilihin, nandiyan pa rin ang inflation (the price of goods is rising and the inflation is still high)," he added.

Labor groups have long pushed for a nationwide wage hike, arguing that regional boards move too slowly and wages remain below living standards in most areas.

Employers' groups, however, have warned that a mandated increase may force smaller businesses to reduce their workforce if not close operations entirely. Some sectors also warned that a legislated wage hike would accelerate the country's inflation rate.

Once the Senate passes its version of the bill, both chambers will need to reconcile differences before transmitting it to the President for approval or veto.

In January this year, President Marcos said the government would work to find ways to resolve legal issues that may hound the salary increase.

"It’s certainly something that we have to think about to assist yung mga pangkaraniwan na tao (the ordinary people)," he said.

"Palagay ko naman (I think) there is a way to increase that, but we have to resolve the legal issues, we have to resolve the economic issues. So, it still deserves a great deal of study," he added.

While he is in favor of a salary increase, President Marcos echoed the concern of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and how it would affect consumer pricing.

"The [small business] employers are worried... ‘Pag tinaas yung minimum wage, mababawasan ang kanilang empleyado kasi ganoon pa rin yung pera nila. Hindi naman madadagdagan yung pera na pambayad nila ng suweldo (If we increase the minimum wage, they would have to cut down on their workforce because their profit is the same. They're not earning more to pay for their employees)," Marcos said.