Senate President Juan “Migs” Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday filed Senate Bill 2002, or the Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023, which aims to increase daily minimum wages in the private sector across all regions by P150.

At present, the National Capital Region has the highest daily nominal wage rate, at P570 for non-agriculture, while the lowest is at P316 for non-agriculture in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“As of January 2023, a family in NCR will need a daily living wage of P1,161. This is double the highest pay received by a minimum wage worker in the region,” he said. The Philippines saw its highest inflation rate in 14 years at 8.7 percent in January this year.

On Tuesday, the Employers Confederation of the Philippines said that the P750 minimum daily wage sought by labor groups would be detrimental to the economy if granted.

A wage hike would affect micro and small enterprises and businesses, which he said comprised 98 percent of the business sector.