House panel passes wage hike measure

A bill seeking a P150 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector was passed by the Committee on Labor and Employment at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 28.

Aside from an increase in wages, House Bill 514, or the “Daily Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act,” will also mandate the Department of Labor and Employment to conduct regular inspections of payroll and other financial records of employers in private companies and businesses.

The principal authors, co-authors and other sponsors of the bill led by Cavite 1st District Rep. Ramon “Jolo” Revilla 3rd emphasized the need and relevance of increasing the daily wage of workers as inflation continues to rise, making it more difficult for them to make ends meet.

“Nararapat lamang na siguruhin ng pamahalaan na naisusulong ang mga napapanahong polisiya at programa pagdating sa umento sa sahod upang matiyak na ang bawat isa ay nabibigyan ng pantay at sapat na oportunidad at proteksyon bilang mga manggagawa (The government must push the necessary policies and programs on wages to ensure that everyone is given a just and enough opportunity, as well as protection as workers),” Revilla said in his sponsorship speech during the committee hearing.

In August 2020, the e-commerce platform Picodi cited data from the global database Numbeo, which showed that the Philippines placed 95th out of 110 countries with an average monthly salary of P15,200 which paled in comparison to its Southeast Asian neighbors.

As of Wednesday, 77 representatives expressed support for the measure, with high hopes that it will be enacted into law as soon as possible.