Solon urges Marcos to certify P200 wage hike bill as urgent

House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list on Monday urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the proposed P200 minimum wage hike for private sector workers, citing rising poverty and hunger.

“When half the nation openly acknowledges that they are poor - this harsh truth resonates and no amount of false bonhomie can camouflage it," Mendoza said.

"Only a long-overdue and much-deserved P200 legislated wage hike, instead of emergency employment or social welfare intervention, is powerful enough to break the vicious cycle of token increases and poverty wages that insultingly fall below the already-low poverty line.”

Mendoza pointed to the latest Social Weather Stations survey, which showed 52% of Filipino families (approximately 14.4 million households) rated themselves as poor in March, up from 51% in February.

He emphasized that a legislated wage hike is essential for millions of workers who lack union protection, collective bargaining rights, and job security, especially amid the ongoing issue of contractualization or “endo.”

Mendoza also noted that minimum wages across the country fall below both the official poverty threshold and the Ateneo Policy Center’s estimated daily cost of the government's "Pinggang Pinoy" food guide—P693.30 for a family of five.

Unsurprisingly, he said, the same SWS survey showed a sharp increase in hunger: among self-rated poor families, hunger rose from 26.4% in February to 35.6% in March 2025; among non-poor families, from 16.2% to 18.3%. Overall, hunger climbed to 27.2%.

“When one in every three Filipinos—rich or poor—is going hungry, workers feel that we are now in a full-blown national emergency demanding Presidential certification as urgent. Not another motherhood promise of a ‘great deal of study.’ Not another recycled directive to the regional wage boards for timely review,” Mendoza stressed.

A presidential certification of urgency allows Congress to approve a bill on second and third reading on the same day, speeding up its passage.

“We trust that President Marcos will rise to the moment and meet with labor leaders to discuss and certify the P200 wage hike bill as urgent—on or before 01 May 2025, Labor Day," Mendoza said.

"As we approach the midterm elections, prices, wages, and jobs remain the most pressing concerns of our people,” he added.

The House version of the P200 wage hike bill was approved at the committee level before Congress adjourned in February for the campaign season. The Senate has already passed its version, proposing a P100 wage increase.

The two chambers must reconcile the differing proposals before the 19th Congress ends on June 13. — DVM, GMA Integrated News