Senator Joel Villanueva urged President Marcos on Friday, Jan. 31 to certify the legislated wage hike bill in the Senate as urgent, emphasizing the need to improve the standard of living for Filipino workers.
Villanueva, who serves as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development, underscored that while the Philippine economy grew by 5.6 percent in 2024, this growth must be reflected in the well-being of the country’s workforce.
“The window for the 19th Congress is slowly closing, which is why we need to speed up discussions and ensure the bill's enactment before we adjourn," Villanueva stated.
“Sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin, kailangan rin po nating siguraduhin na may kakayahang mamuhay nang maayos ang ating mga kababayan (With the rising prices of goods, we also need to ensure that our fellow citizens can live comfortably),” he added, highlighting the impact of rising costs on Filipino families.
Senate Bill No. 2534, also known as the P100 Minimum Wage Hike Increase bill, which Villanueva co-authored, was approved on third reading in the Senate on February 19, 2024.
The senator also welcomed the ongoing discussions on the counterpart measure in the House of Representatives stressing the urgency of aligning wages with the cost of living.
The House Committee on Labor and Employment swiftly approved during a hearing Thursday, January 30 the measure calling for a P200 across-the-board daily wage increase.
Unanimously approved by the attending panel members was the committee report on the unnumbered substitute bill to House Bills (HB) No.514, 7568, and 7871, dubbed the Act providing for a legislated daily across-the-board increase in the salary rates of employees and workers in the private sector.
“At the end of the day, what is important is that we can match our workers’ wages to the living wage,” he said.
Villanueva also filed Senate Bill No. 2140, which seeks to establish a standard for a living wage to ensure that Filipino workers earn enough to support their families and improve their quality of life.
In relation to this, Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. also expressed his elation that the measure is within arm's reach.
"Labis tayong natutuwa dahil yung matagal nang inaasam-asam ng ating mga kababayan, at matagal na rin nating isinusulong ay malapit na nating makamit. Ngayon nagkakaroon na ng linaw ang legislated wage hike na simula pa noong 2008 ay paulit-ulit kong nang ipinapanukala dito sa Senado (We are very pleased because what our fellow citizens have long been hoping for, and what we have long been advocating, is now within reach. The legislated wage hike, which I have repeatedly proposed in the Senate since 2008, is now becoming clearer),” Revilla said.
The lawmaker said that he has been filing a legislated across-the-board wage hike bill since his first term in the Senate.
Revilla detailed that the legislated wage hike bill he championed in the Senate was already approved by the chamber.
“Noong isang taon nga ay pumasa na ng ikatlong pagbasa sa plenaryo ng Senado ang panukalang nagbibigay ng dagdag na umento sa sahod sa manggagawa sa pribadong sector. Ito ay matapos ng pakikipag-ugnayan din sa iba’t-ibang sektor, kasama din dito ang mga employers (Last year, the proposed legislation granting an increase in wages for workers in the private sector passed its third reading in the Senate plenary. This followed consultations with various sectors, including employers),” he said.
Revilla hopes the bill gets enacted before the 19th Congress closes. "We still have nine session days left in the 19th Congress. Kaya pa ito (This can still be done)."