Senate criticizes House, delays PHP100 daily wage increase

Senate President Francis Escudero criticized the House of Representatives for 'passing the buck' over the non-passage of the legislated wage hike in the 19th Congress.

Escudero noted that the Senate passed its version seeking a PHP100 daily wage increase for private sector workers as early as February 2024, while the House only transmitted their PHP200 version on June 11, the last day of the session.

Senate Committee on Labor Chair Joel Villanueva confirmed meeting with House leaders who were reportedly amenable to adopting the Senate version but failed to formalize this process.

Villanueva criticized the House for failing to act on the bill despite urging them to adopt the Senate's version, given the limited time remaining in the 19th Congress.

Escudero and Villanueva emphasized that if the House had acted earlier, the wage hike could have been passed without delays, stressing that there are realistic timelines to consider for such measures.