A bill that seeks to increase by P200 the daily wage of employees in the private sector is scheduled to be discussed in the second reading in the House of Representatives.
The House Committee on Labor and Employment on Thursday, January 30, approved the substitute bill that combines House Bills 514, 7568, 7871, and 10139—all aimed at providing an across-the-board wage hike.
The substitute bill is titled "An Act Providing for a P200 Daily Across-the-Board Increase in the Salary Rates of Employees and Workers in the Private Sector."
Some lawmakers have proposed a lower increase of P100 to P150, while the Makabayan bloc is pushing for a P750 wage hike to ensure that Filipino families have enough wages.
"For our workers, every increase in wages is important to provide for the needs of the family. The passage of the wage increase bill at the committee level is a big step," said Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women's Party-list) in Filipino.
However, he emphasized that the P200 increase is not enough to reach the family living wage that workers need.
According to data from the IBON Foundation, a family with five members needs at least P1,200 per day for basic expenses and savings.
"The price of goods is not different in each region. So we continue to promote the creation of regional wage boards and a national minimum wage," he added.
In the latest report of the economic think tank, it appears that the average family living wage in different regions is at P1,224 in December 2024. Since the average nominal wage is P465 per day, an increase of P759 is required.
In some regions, wages are even lower compared to the National Capital Region (NCR) with a daily rate of P645.
In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the wage gap is the largest, with an 82.4% shortfall from the family living wage of P2,053.
