Senators on Labor Day: Give workers long-overdue living wage

Senators on Labor Day called on the government to give workers in the Philippines a decent living wage and push for measures to make their situation better.

In separate statements, Senators Grace Poe, Alan Cayetano, Joel Villanueva, Risa Hontiveros, and Pia Cayetano emphasized the need to adjust the salaries of workers to a rate that not only meets their needs but also gives their families a “respectable standard of living.” 

“Bigyan naman natin sila ng panahong huminga at maramdaman ang bunga ng kanilang pagsisikap… As the backbone of the economy, the Filipino labor force deserves a decent living wage that will give their families a respectable standard of living,” Poe said in a statement. 

Poe, alongside Hontiveros, Villanueva, Pia Cayetano and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, renewed their call to increase the minimum wage by P100 in the meantime. 

“With the soaring prices, a wage increase will be a timely and meaningful gift to our workers. Kung anu-ano ng paghihigpit ng sinturon ang ginagawa ng ating mga kababayan mapagkasya lang ang kinikita para sa lahat ng gastusin ng pamilya,” Poe said. 

For his part, Zubiri said a legislative wage hike bill is in order regardless of whether the Senate’s version, which proposed P100 increase, or the House of Representatives’ version, which sought a P200 hike, will be approved. 

“We cannot speak of economic growth when those who make it possible continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Real progress must be felt at the dining table, in the classrooms where workers send their children, and in the homes they struggle to build,” Zubiri said. 

“Filipino workers have waited long enough. They deserve not just praise, but policies that uplift them, protect their rights, and honor their sacrifices,” he added. Amid the rising cost of basic goods and services, Zubiri stressed that this is not a matter of choice but of justice. 

Meanwhile, Hontiveros echoed the call for Malacañang to certify the wage hike bill as urgent before the 19th Congress ends.

“Alam at ramdam natin na kulang pa rin ang umentong P100 at P200 kung ikukumpara sa taas ng mga bilihin, pero ito ay mahalagang hakbang tungo sa sahod na makabubuhay sa ating mga pamilya. Pero mas higit na makakatulong kung maipanalo natin ang ?1,200 kada araw na living wage,” she said. 

The 19th Congress adjourns sine die on June 13. Congress will go on a break until July 27 and then give way for the opening of the 20th Congress on July 28.

“Kapag natapos ang 19th Congress nang hindi naipapasa ang wage hike bill, back to zero na naman po ang trabaho para dito,” Hontiveros explained.

Earlier this week, Senate committee on labor and employment chairperson Joel Villanueva called on the House of Representatives to approve its version of the legislative wage hike. 

Today, he urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos to make the bill a priority. 

“Sa pagbubukas ng 20th congress, patuloy po nating isusulong ang ‘living wage’ bilang pamantayan sa pagtatakda ng sahod, nang sa gayon ay maramdaman talaga ng ating mga manggagawa ang bunga ng kanilang pagod, sakripisyo, at kontribusyon sa pagpapaunlad ng ating minamahal na Bansang Pilipinas,” Villanueva said. 

In pushing for a living wage, Senator Alan Cayetano said he would file a bill to create an Executive-Legislative Labor Commission similar to the Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM). 

This, he said, will convene representatives from Congress, the Executive branch, MSMEs, trade and industry, and the labor sector “to collectively pursue a sustainable solution to the living wage issue.”

“This would provide a comprehensive look at what the real wage should be, taking into account the actual expenses of a family for education, health, among others,” Cayetano said.

Senator Pia Cayetano lamented how women also suffer from being paid low salaries. 

“This is also a gender issue: women continue to face lower pay, fewer opportunities, and a heavier load of unpaid care work. A fair wage helps ease that burden and honors the labor they give—both inside and outside the home,” she said.

“We cannot talk about progress and leave behind those who carry the weight of our homes and our economy. If we truly aim to become an upper-middle income country, our workers—and especially our women and mothers—must be at the center of that vision,” she added. 

She then urged the legislative and executive branches to work together to deliver what she called a “long-overdue relief” to Filipino workers. 

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, chairman of the Senate basic education, called for the passage of the revised Magna Carta for Public School Teachers on Labor Day. 

The proposed measure will amend the 58-year-old law and aims to provide benefits like calamity leave, educational allowances, and longevity pay, and protection to public school teachers.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Senator Bong Revilla both praised Filipino workers on Labor Day for their vital role in the country’s economy and development. 

“Sa kanilang sipag, dedikasyon, at walang sawang pagsisikap, naitataguyod ang mga industriya, negosyo, at serbisyo na nagbibigay-buhay sa ating bansa at kabuhayan sa mga mamamayan,” Escudero said.

“Saludo po ako sa inyong sipag at dedikasyon na siyang sandigan tibay at lakas ng ating ekonomiya at simbolo ng pagmamahal sa pamilya,” Revilla said. —LDF, GMA Integrated News