“If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, April 29 made this point as he urged the House of Representatives to pass the bill increasing the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector before the present 19th Congress ends on June 30.

Villanueva, who heads the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, made the call just two days before the country marks Labor Day on May 1.

The senator noted it has been over a year since the Upper Chamber passed Senate Bill 2534, proposing a P100 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

The lawmaker noted prices of basic goods and commodities continue to rise and is increasing faster than workers’ wages.

“We are waiting and appealing for our counterparts in the House of Representatives to pass their version of the bill to help ease the dire situation of our workers here,” Villanueva said during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.

Asked if he believes Congress can still approve the measure with only six session days left from June 2 to June 14, Villanueva said it is possible.

“There’s a saying, if there’s a will, there’s a way,” he said.

The House Committee on Labor and Employment approved a version of a bill mandating a P200 across-the-board increase for workers in the private sector.

Once approved on third and final reading, the Senate and House will meet in a bicameral conference meeting to reconcile the differences on their versions on the legislated wage bill.

Villanueva noted the House had always desired to also raise workers’ pay more than the proposed Senate’s P100 daily wage hike.

“They’ve been saying that the P100 increase is still not enough. If they think it’s insufficient, why not ask for more,” he pointed out.

“But I agree we see the need to also balance this with the capacity of our businesses,” he stressed.