The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) lauded the approval of the P200 across-the-board daily wage hike in the House Committee on Labor and Employment as a committee substitute bill of the original proposal of the TUCP Partylist for a P150 increase for all workers in the private sector.
“For the first time since 1989, we are closer than ever to passing the first-ever legislated wage hike over three decades, thanks to the leadership of House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez,” TUCP president and House deputy speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza said.
At the heart of this historic push is House Bill 7871, filed by the TUCP Partylist, which first proposed a P150 daily wage hike for all private sector workers, Mendoza said. “Recognizing the urgent need to uplift our workers, the approved wage increase has been raised even higher. We proudly stand behind this committee report, which brings us one step closer to living wages as we look forward to its passage in the plenary in the remaining session days this week.”
Back in 1989, Congress passed the Wage Rationalization Act, which raised the minimum wage by 40 percent, that did not lead to massive inflation and widespread business closures and joblessness, and created the regional minimum wage board system.
“The regional wage boards, for 36 long years, have trapped millions of working families in poverty with their children suffering from hunger, stunting, and malnutrition. Now, everything is going up—food, power, water, fuel, and even transportation fare prices—everything, except the wages of workers who provide service, produce goods, and build our economy. The Philippines demands and deserves a raise—right now!” Mendoza stressed in a House press release.
The TUCP Partylist filed HB 7871 back in 2023. “Throughout three exhaustive hearings in February, March, and May 2024, a diverse array of esteemed voices from the academia, civil society, informal sector, economists, and minimum wage earners delivered compelling testimonies and expert insights, dismantling the unfounded fears of business and employers’ groups,” the press release said.
The P200 daily across-the-board wage hike is not just an increase in pay, but an investment in the future. It will lift over five million minimum wage earners out of poverty, put nutritious food on their table, send their children to school, and give them a fighting chance for a better life to overcome hardships and attain prosperity, the TUCP said.
“Let us take this great leap forward and upward, not only for the workers but for the future of business, economy, our nation, and our people. When workers thrive, businesses grow. Higher wages boost household spending, pump-prime our economy, and drive sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth,” Mendoza said. “While existing exemptions protect our smallest businesses, let us also work together to explore wage subsidies, tax breaks, and credit access so that MSMEs can not only comply but thrive. We will make this a win-win solution for all.” ||
