Villanueva asks House: Pass wage hike bill before adjournment

Sen. Joel Villanueva — File photo

MANILA, Philippines— Hope is not yet lost for a legislated wage hike before the present 19th Congress ends on June 30.

This is, at least according to Sen. Joel Villanueva, who heads the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development, just two days before the country marks Labor Day on May 1.

It has been over a year since the upper chamber passed Senate Bill 2534, proposing a P100 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the private sector.

READ: Senate approves P100 daily wage hike bill

Its counterpart measure, however, remains pending in the House of Representatives.

“Hinihintay po natin yung pagpasa ng Kamara  at inaasahan din po natin at  inaapela sa atin mga counterpart dun sa Kamara de Representantes na maipasa din po ito nang sa ganun maibsan yung kalunos-lunos na situation ng ating mga mangagawa na talaga namang napakahirap ng sitwasyon nila,” Villanueva said at the regular Kapihan sa Senado on Tuesday.

(We are currently waiting for the House to pass it, and we are also hoping and appealing to our counterparts in the House of Representatives to pass it as well, so that we can help ease the dire situation of our workers, whose conditions are truly very difficult.)

“Patuloy na tumataas ang bilihin, mas mabilis yung taas ng bilihin kaysa sa pagtaas ng kanilang sweldo,” he added.

(Prices continue to rise, and they’re increasing faster than workers’ wages.)

In the House, its committee on labor and employment has so far approved a bill mandating a P200 across-the-board increase for workers in the private sector.

READ: House wage bill gains pace but schedule tight

Once passed on the third and final reading, the House and the Senate can meet in a bicameral conference to reconcile their differences on the legislated wage bill.

But can Congress still approve the measure with only six session days left from June 2 to June 14?

“May kasabihan nga (There’s a saying):  If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Villanueva said.

Besides, he pointed out the House’s desire to also raise the workers’ pay even more than the proposed Senate’s P100 daily wage hike.

“Sinasabi pa nga nila kulang pa nga daw yung P100, which is a welcome  development, no? Kung tingin nila kulang pa, why not? But yung nakikita natin kasi we have to balance e yung kayayahan ng ating mga negosyante,” said the senator.

(Some are even saying that the ₱100 increase is still not enough, which is actually a welcome development, right? If they think it’s still lacking, why not ask for more? But what we see is that we also need to balance this with the capacity of our businesses.)