Escudero on P200 wage hike: We'll work it out with House
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Senate President Francis Escudero said Thursday that the Senate will work with the House of Representatives towards the passage of an across-the-board daily wage hike for private sector workers.
Escudero issued the statement following the House Committee on Labor and Employment’s approval of the P200 across-the-board daily wage hike.
“Although we only have nine session days left, I welcome the openness of the House, at this time, to passing this Senate-initiated measure,” Escudero said.
The P200 daily wage increase put forward in the House is higher than the P100 daily wage hike approved by the Senate way back in March 2024.
“I look forward to working with them on this,” Escudero said.
Congress will be in session for a week before adjourning February 7 to give way to the campaign period and the conduct of the May 2025 polls
Congress will resume session from June 2 to 13 before 19th Congress ends.
Given the timeline, the wage hike bill should be approved on second and third reading by the House and its different House and Senate versions reconciled and ratified by Congress within three weeks.
Under this timeline, the wage hike bill will be ready for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s signature to become a law by the end of 19th Congress.
If the bill is certified urgent by President Marcos, the House can approve the measure on second and third reading on the same day, speeding up the process.
Prior to the approval of the P200 wage hike by the House Committee on Labor, House Deputy Speaker and TUCP party-list Representative Raymond Democrito Mendoza said the last legislated wage hike happened in 1989 during the time of the late President Corazon Aquino. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News