Speaker vows higher wages push

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy pledged Friday to prioritize legislative measures aimed at raising the national minimum wage and ending precarious employment practices to better protect the Filipino workforce.

Acknowledging the working class as the backbone of the Philippine economy, Dy cited that laborers continue to face significant hurdles, including stagnant pay and poor working conditions, amid the country’s ongoing economic challenges.

“We are aware that workers still face a lot of challenges — from salary to benefits and even in job security and good working conditions,” Dy said.

Lawmakers have already filed a suite of bills intended to address these grievances.

Key proposals currently at the House of Representatives include a measure to increase the national daily minimum wage to P1,200, a bill to expand paid leave benefits, and legislation designed to eliminate contractualization, often referred to as “endo.”