President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is being urged to certify as urgent a Senate bill seeking to increase the minimum wage by P100 as the 19th Congress nears its adjournment.

Senator Joel Villanueva renewed this call, emphasizing that the country's economic growth in 2024 should be reflected in the well-being of the Filipino workforce.

“The window for the 19th Congress is slowly closing, which is why we need to speed up discussions and ensure the bill's enactment before we adjourn," said Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development. He stressed the need to ensure that Filipinos can live comfortably despite rising prices of goods and other basic commodities.

On 19 February 2024, the Senate approved on third reading Senate Bill 2534, also known as the P100 Minimum Wage Hike Increase bill.

Meanwhile, the House Committee on Labor and Employment recently approved a P200 across-the-board daily wage increase.

In a separate statement, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., principal author of SB 2534, expressed hope that the passage of the counterpart measure in the House of Representatives would be a "buzzer-beater" before the 19th Congress concludes.

“As the congressional session nears its end next week, we hope this proposal will make it just in time as our gift to workers,” Revilla said.

With only nine session days left, Revilla remains optimistic about the bill’s chances.

“We still have nine session days left in the 19th Congress. Kaya pa ito (We can still pass this),” he added.

Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said that the upper chamber will collaborate with the House of Representatives in passing an across-the-board daily wage increase for private sector workers.