Bong Go lauds Senate's approval of wage hike bill

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Tuesday lauded the upper chamber’s passage of a measure mandating the P100 increase to the daily minimum wage of private workers.

Go stressed the need to harmoniously balance the interests of employers and workers in the country.

On Monday, the Senate approved, on the third and final reading, Senate Bill 2534, or “An Act Providing for a 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in the Private Sector” with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention.

“This approach aims to ensure that the rights and well-being of all workforce sectors are equally recognized and protected,” Go said.

The bill, he noted, could pave the way to creating a more equitable economic environment for all Filipinos.

“It is the goal of this measure to provide for a living wage that allows our Filipino workers to earn enough income for a satisfactory standard of living and prevent them from falling into poverty,” he added.

Go cited a survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations from September to October last year which revealed more or less 13.2 million families consider themselves poor.

He said the proposed wage increase is beneficial in ensuring that economic recovery efforts will be inclusive and can benefit all sectors of society, particularly the working class.

Go added the enactment of SB 2534 is critical to implementing a “constitutional mandate to improve the quality of life for ordinary Filipinos.”

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.

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.

If passed, employers who violate the law will be fined between P25,000 to P100,000, or imprisonment between 2-4 years, as well as awarding back pay to employers.

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.