Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. has expressed his unwavering determination to push for the passage of his proposed P150 across-the-board wage hike bill.
Recognizing the importance of legislating this increase, he emphasized the need to ensure that the meager earnings of laborers keep up with the rising cost of basic goods.
Revilla remained committed to this cause despite the recent approval of a P40 wage increase by Metro Manila's Regional Wage Board (RWB), a decision later affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
"Napakalaki ng utang na loob natin sa mga manggagawa, at kahit ngayong ipinatupad na ang P40 wage hike sa NCR ay naniniwala akong kulang na kulang ito para sa pang-araw-araw na gastusin kaya tuloy pa rin ang pagsulong natin sa P150 na dagdag sahod pa", said the Senator.
In early 2023, he filed Senate Bill No. 2018, alongside with Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri's Senate Bill 2002 which aims to grant a P150 wage increase to all employees in the private sector, regardless of their region or sector of employment.
Revilla has consistently filed legislative measures aimed at raising the daily wages of laborers throughout his tenure as a senator, starting from the 14th Congress and continuing in subsequent congresses.
During the 16th and 18th Congresses, Revilla was the sole legislator in the upper chamber to introduce measures of this nature.
'Second most urgent nat'l concern'
Meanwhile, Senate President Zubiri also remains steadfast in his commitment to raise wages for daily wage workers across the country through a legislated wage hike.
In an interview, he said he is confident that the Senate will heed the overwhelming public demand for wage increases, as demonstrated by the recent nationwide Pulse Asia survey.
"Yan ang kailangan nating tutukan at pangako ko po yan. The Senate will make a stand on this issue. Alam ko maraming magagalit sa ating mga negosyante, but share-share lang. Kailangan din po nilang magshare ng biyaya sa ating mga manggagawa," Zubiri said.
In the latest Pulse Asia survey, which ran from June 19 to 23, increasing worker pay ranked as the second most urgent national concern at 44%, following controlling inflation at 63%.
The survey also revealed information about monthly household expenses, with 38% of respondents reporting spending P15,001 or more, 17% spending between P14,001 and P15,000, and only 13% spending less than P8,000.
The Senate President highlighted that the survey results indicated that 97% of respondents stated that their wages were insufficient and expressed a desire for an increase.
Only 2% believed their wages were sufficient, while 1% remained undecided. This indicates that 97% of the population is appealing to the government for a wage increase, as their current earnings fall short of meeting their needs.
Zubiri proposes implementing a uniform P150 minimum wage increase nationwide, exploring various proposals on how to achieve this goal.
He suggested implementing a graduated approach, such as a P100 increase in Metro Manila and a P150 increase in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, to ensure fairness.
"We can make it graduated. For example, sa NCR magdaragdag tayo ng P100, di ba? Sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao gawin nating P150 para lahat ay pare-pareho na. Or gawin nating P110 ang Metro Manila tapos P150 na ang lahat," Zubiri pointed out.
