36 years in the making: Solons laud wage hike bill’s approval
House of Representatives starts the plenary debates on House Bill No. 10800 or the 2025 general appropriations bill. (Photo by LYN RILLON)
MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers from the majority and minority blocs of the House of Representatives are praising the chamber’s leadership for allowing the passage of a minimum wage hike bill.
This is the first time in 36 years that such a measure was approved on third reading.
After House Bill (HB) No. 11376 or the proposed Wage Hike For Minimum Wage Workers Act was approved on Wednesday, lawmakers said the move proves the chamber is pro-people.
The legislators are referring to the passage of a P200-per-day increase in the salaries of minimum wage earners in the private sector.
House Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza said his father was one of those who pushed for the wage hike bill in 1989.
Mendoza’s father is Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) founder and lawyer Democrito Mendoza.
Prior to Wednesday’s event by the 19th Congress, 1989 was the last time the House passed a legislated wage hike bill.
“Today, the House of Representatives proved that it is truly the House of the people,” Mendoza said.
“TUCP founder, Ka Kito – Democrito Mendoza – in his book wrote and he said in that book… that TUCP once more again thrust into the limelight during the 1989 campaign for higher minimum wage, leading the charge in successfully pushing Congress to P25 wage hike at that time,” he recalled.
“Now, 36 years later, we carry on the struggle and make history once more by passing House Bill No. 11376 providing for a P200 daily minimum wage increase authored by, of course, TUCP, and my colleagues, the first-ever legislated wage hike in nearly four decades,” Mendoza said.
Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas believes the passage of HB No. 11376 is only fitting as the government needs to assist workers who can no longer cope with the rising prices of goods and services.
“Gabriela Women’s Party, along with unions and labor organizations, have long been fighting for a law that will increase the minimum wage of Filipino workers,” she said.
“Under the 19th Congress, in 2022, we filed a proposed […] P750 across-the-board wage increase so that we can reach a living wage,” she remembered.
“It has been 36 years since the last legislated minimum wage was approved. Now is the time to finally break the long years of legislative inaction […],” Brosas said.
She also admitted a continuing difficulty: “Even if we think that the P200 wage hike is not enough, passing this is already a significant step in pushing discussions for further salary increases.”
Brosas and Mendoza were the proponents of the wage hike bill, with the Gabriela lawmaker and the Makabayan bloc filing HB No. 7568, which sought a P750 wage increase.
Mendoza, meanwhile, filed HB No. 7871 asking for a P150 across-the-board wage hike for all workers in the private sector.
Majority member and Cavite 1st District Rep. Ramon Jolo Revilla III, who also filed a bill seeking a P150 increase in workers’ wages, said this development will greatly help minimum wage earners improve their quality of life.
“We thank Speaker Martin Romualdez and our colleagues in the lower House for passing proposed bills that will increase the salaries of our minimum wage workers,” he said.
On Wednesday, HB No. 11376 was approved after 172 lawmakers voted in the affirmative, none in the negative, and one abstention.
Under the bill, it is clarified that Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards can still implement wage increases even if the proposed P200 increase in the daily wages of minimum earners is enacted.
The bill also warned that the wage hike must not lead to the reduction of existing allowances and benefits.
It cautioned that not adhering to the regulations will result in a penalty ranging from P100,000 to P500,000, and imprisonment of responsible officers.
READ: House OKs P200 minimum wage hike on final reading
HB No. 11376 was approved by the House on second reading on February 3 — two days before Congress adjourned its session for the election season break.
READ: House OKs P200 minimum wage hike bill on 2nd reading
Previously, the bill called for a P200 across-the-board increase in wages — which would have resulted in salary increases for all private sector workers, regardless of their salary grades.
Eventually, the final version of the bill limited the scope to minimum wage earners only.
The proposed P200-per-day salary increase for minimum wage earners is higher than what the Senate has approved.
In February 2024, Senate Bill No. 2534, which proposed a P100-daily minimum wage increase for private sector workers, was approved on third and final reading./apl
