Senate OKs bill on P100 minimum wage hike on 2nd reading

The Senate on Wednesday approved on second reading a bill seeking to increase the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector by P100.

This came exactly a week after Senate Bill 2534  or “An Act Providing for a 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in the Private Sector" was sponsored on Senate plenary by Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

The current daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region is at P610.

SB 2534 was the product of several bills seeking the hike on minimum wage hike, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri's version which sought a P150 across the board increase in the minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

The current version of the bill was adjusted from P150 to P100 following the regional wage boards’ hiking of minimum daily wage rates from P30 to P89.

Last year, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board issued wage orders for increases in the minimum wage of employees in Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, SOCCSKSARGEN, and Central Visayas, among others.

"Saktong sakto sa Valentine’s Day—ito na po ang ultimate regalo natin sa ating mga manggagawa...Inaasahan natin na tuluyan na nating maipapasa on third reading sa Lunes, sa susunod na linggo, ang panukalang ito sa Senado," Zubiri said in his manifestation before the second reading passage of the bill.

He then appealed for the House of Representatives to pass a similar bill.

"At umaapela rin kami sa Kamara na aksyunan na nila ang ating wage increase bills. Sama-sama nating sagutin ang tunay na hinaing ng taumbayan," he said.

Zubiri's call came after Representative Stella Quimbo, vice chairperson of the appropriations committee, and Rep. Joey Salceda, head of the ways and means panel raised doubts about bills seeking a legislated wage hike.

Both solons said this will result in higher prices of goods and services, and the shutdown of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

But this position was refuted by Senator Francis Escudero, saying wage increases will not bust the economy.

"Tuwina na lang pag may diskusyon sa wage increase, maglalabas na ang mga iyan ng kanilang crystal ball at tatakutin tayo na babagsak ang ekonomiya...hindi naman gumuho ang lupa and the sky is still up there and has not fallen," Escudero said.—AOL, GMA Integrated News