Palace mum on P200 legislated wage hike: Let Congress decide

Malacanang Palace on Monday passed the responsibility to the House of Representatives on clamors for a P200 legislated wage increase, although it said the government is not deserting the welfare of millions of workers.

Labor groups are pushing for Congress to legislate the P200 daily wage hike for private sector workers to mitigate the high prices of commodities, particularly fuel.

The House of Representatives last June 2025 passed the proposal on third reading in June 2025, which faces potential dilution by the Senate's preference for a lower increase. 

“Sa pananaw po ng Pangulo, lagi po niyang inuutusan ang DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) at ang Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board na aralin  at kung maaaring dagdagan ang suweldo ng ating manggagawang Filipino at iyon naman po ay ipinapatupad,” said Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro in a media briefing in Pasay City.

She said the government is raising the wages of workers on a yearly basis.

“At halos taon-taon po ay nagtataas po ng suweldo, pero patungkol po sa pagtaas po ng suweldo na P200, tingin po natin, ito po ay nasa kamay po ng Kongreso,” Castro said.

Price freeze

Navotas Lone District Representative Toby Tiangco is also proposing a bill that would freeze rents and defer loan payments to cushion the adverse effects of rice and fuel prices, and for the temporary freeze of residential and MSME commercial rental rates.

“Hindi pa po nababasa malamang ng Pangulo ang bersiyon. So, kung magkakaroon po sila ng bersiyon at ibibigay sa Pangulo, pag-aaralan po ito,” Castro said.

The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, has recently said they are recommending imposing a price cap on imported rice.

“Actually, Secretary Kiko Laurel said they are recommending to the National Price Coordinating Council, para magkaroon ng deliberation patungkol dito. At ang kanilang price cap na isinangguni ay P50 for imported rice. So, ito po ang ibinigay din na mungkahi ni Secretary Kiko Laurel kay Pangulo, so ito naman ay sinusuportahan,” Castro stressed.