Marcos Jr. reviews wage hike proposals to safeguard SMBs

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. will review proposed wage hikes to determine if small businesses can afford them without leading to layoffs, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

Castro noted that the government is studying whether a legislated wage hike is feasible and has been holding job fairs nationwide since 2022 to open opportunities for workers who may lose their jobs due to increased costs.

Lawmakers have refiled bills seeking an across-the-board pay increase, with Senator Robinhood 'Robin' Padilla proposing P150 and Senator Christopher Lawrence 'Bong' Go advocating a similar P100 wage hike as previously approved by the Senate.

The National Capital Region (NCR) Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board issued Wage Order No. 26, granting a P50 increase in the daily minimum wage effective July 1st, equivalent to an additional P1,100 per month for a five-day workweek and P1,300 for a six-day workweek.

Under the new rate, non-agriculture workers will earn about P15,247 to P18,216 monthly for a five-day and six-day workweek respectively, inclusive of social welfare benefits.

Labor groups continue to push for a nationwide P200 legislated wage increase, arguing that it would benefit informal workers and micro entrepreneurs through the robust purchasing power of formal workers.