Senate OKs P100 minimum wage hike

The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading a measure seeking for P100-daily minimum wage increase in salaries of private sector workers.

During the plenary session, Senate Bill 2534 or “An Act Providing for a 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in the Private Sector” garnered 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention.

At present, the daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region is at P610.

The The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board issued wage orders last year — increasing the minimum wage of employees in Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, SOCCSKSARGEN, and Central Visayas, among others.

Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. said the passage of SB 2534 clearly shows that the Senate is truly an ally of the Filipino people.

“It’s been a long time coming. Sa wakas, sa tagal ng paghihintay, tapos na ang laban dito sa atin sa Senado,” he said.

The measure was the product of several bills seeking minimum wage hikes, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri's version which sought a P150 across-the-board increase in the minimum salary of workers in the private sector.

Revilla has been championing wage increase bills since his first term as a senator, with the filing of similar measures during the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 18th Congresses.

Further, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa commended the Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development for tirelessly giving this measure all the support that it needed throughout its passage.

“Indeed, the approval of Senate Bill No. 2534, or the “P100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2023” is, so to speak, a well-deserved victory. This is a victory that we share with our employees, our workers, in the private sector,” he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda said it is high time to increase the minimum wage across the board in the private sector to alleviate the financial strain on Filipino families.

“By ensuring that families earn a fair wage, we can address concerns about basic necessities. This will enable families to enjoy more fulfilling and stable lives. This is a matter of economic justice and basic human dignity," she added.

Under the measure, the minimum wage of all workers in the private sector, whether agricultural or non-agricultural, shall be increased by P100 a day upon the effectivity of the law.

Any employer found to have violated the law, if passed, will be fined between P25,000 to P100,000, or imprisonment between 2-4 years, as well as awarding back pay.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed a Filipino family of five would need at least P13,797 a month or P460 a day to make ends meet.

Senator Risa Hontiveros lamented there’s still a need to pass pass an across-the-board wage increase because the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Boards have failed.

She, however, noted that wage hike will offer relief, but it is bound to be temporary if the wage-setting institutions are not reformed.

“In the past so many years, the majority of the legislated minimum wages were just in the vicinity of the poverty line set by the PSA – the National Wages and Productivity Council (NWPC) will bear this out. Why is this the case? Why are minimum wages frequently set at the regional poverty line?,” she asked.

Hontiveros expressed happiness for the passage of SB 2534.

Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, said the reiterated that the flourishing economy relies on the vitality of its workforce, who are considered the lifeblood of enterprises.

“Let it be said that this august chamber is responsive to the needs of our kababayans, especially on the back of rising cost of living and soaring prices of basic commodities. Thus, the Senate has proposed to hike the daily minimum wage rate by P100 for workers in the private sector,” he added.

Senator Grace Poe, meanwhile, described the passage of SB 2534 as a “noble pursuit” to provide the hardworking Filipino labor force with a decent living wage.

Noting that the P100 wage hike is not yet, Poe urged private employers with the means to provide supplementary allowances or benefits to extend this assistance to their employees.