₱200 Daily Wage Hike Approved in Philippine House; Senate Action Urged

The Philippine House of Representatives recently approved a bill proposing a significant increase in the minimum daily wage for the private sector. The bill, House Bill No. 11376, includes a ₱200 daily increase for all minimum wage workers, regardless of their employment status. This means that contractual and sub-contractual workers will also receive the increase. The approval of the bill was met with enthusiasm from several representatives. Rep. Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela Party-list emphasized the importance of a wage that allows workers to meet their daily needs and improve their quality of life. She highlighted that this is a long-overdue victory, achieved after 36 years of legislative efforts. Rep. Jude Acidre of the Tingog Party-list expressed confidence that taking care of workers will ultimately benefit businesses in the long run. However, the bill's passage is not yet final. Senator Migz Zubiri, one of the bill's authors, urged his colleagues in the Senate to act quickly to pass the bill before the end of the current congressional session. He stated, "...if they just want to adopt it, so be it. Let us adopt. But if they plan to do some amendments and we will come up with a bicam... I also urge my colleagues in the Senate and the Senate President to come up with a bicam as soon as possible para ma-tackle pa ito the next three days before we end sine die." The government's commitment to dialogue with Filipino workers further underscores the importance of this development. The approval of this bill marks a significant step towards improving the lives of Filipino minimum wage earners.