President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was called upon on Friday to certify as urgent the Senate Bill aimed at increasing the daily minimum wage by P100, as the 19th Congress nears its conclusion.
Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resource Development chairperson, Senator Joel Villanueva, urged the President to take action, emphasizing that this move would positively impact economic development in 2025.
“The window for the 19th Congress is slowly closing, which is why we need to speed up discussions and ensure the bill’s enactment before we adjourn,” Villanueva said.
“Sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin, kailangan rin po nating siguraduhin na may kakayahang mamuhay nang maayos ang ating mga kababayan,” he added.
Villanueva also advocated for the wage increase, noting that the counterpart bill in the House of Representatives had also passed its reading.
The Senate approved the third and final reading of Senate Bill 2534, which seeks to raise the daily minimum wage of private sector workers by P100, in February 2024.
The House Committee on Labor and Employment recently approved the counterpart bill; however, there are differences in terms of the wage increase, as the House proposal seeks an across-the-board minimum wage hike.
Additionally, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. expressed hope that the counterpart bill in the House will be passed before the 19th Congress concludes, easing the lives of minimum wage earners.
“Sa papalapit na pagtatapos ng sesyon ng Kongreso sa darating na linggo, umaasa tayong makakaabot pang buzzer beater itong panukalang ito bilang handog natin sa ating mga manggagawa,” Revilla said in a statement.
“We still have nine session days left in the 19th Congress. Kaya pa ito,” he added.
If the bill is certified as urgent by the President, Congress can expedite the process of the second and third readings.