Bill on P100 private sector pay increase reaches Senate plenary

A SENATE bill proposing a P100 acrossthe-board wage increase for private sector workers has reached the plenary pending debates.

“Now is time that we push for the benefits of our labor sector,” Senate President Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, one of the lawmakers who sponsored the measure, said at Wednesday’s plenary session.

“With this bill, we hope to take a vital step in recognizing the worth of our workers,” he said.

Under Senate Bill No. 2534, the Wage Increase Act of 2023, workers in the private sector whether agricultural or non-agricultural would gain a P100 increase in their daily pay to ensure a “living wage” for the Filipino workforce.

A bloc of congressmen has also filed a bill seeking a P750 daily wage hike for private sector workers, including those in special economic zones, freeports, and agriculture.

Metro Manila’s daily minimum wage rose by P40 to P610 in June last year, much lower than the P570 increase sought by Unity for Wage Increase Now.

“There is a chance for them (workers) to be more productive, to pay more taxes, to spend more in our economy, and to be able to live a life that they deserve,” Senate President Pro Tempore Regina “Loren” B. Legarda said during her cosponsorship speech on Wednesday.

Philippine labor groups have backed a legislated wage hike saying it would unleash consumer spending power and raise worker pay above “poverty” levels.

“Our workers are the foundation of our society, and it is their right to earn a decent pay to have a decent life,” Mr. Zubiri said.