Senator Risa Hontiveros pushed Congress to move beyond isolated wage hikes after workers in Metro Manila secured an ₱85 increase in their daily minimum pay.
Hontiveros said the adjustment would help workers in the National Capital Region cope with rising costs, but warned that wage-setting must be reformed to respond to both labor needs and business realities across the country.
“Magandang simula ang PHP85 daily minimum wage hike para sa mga manggagawa sa Metro Manila. Pero ‘di sapat ang piecemeal na reporma para sa malaking hamon na hinaharap ng mga industriya at manggagawa,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros renewed her push for Senate Bill No. 210, a measure she authored that seeks to overhaul wage-setting through a two-track system for larger firms and MSMEs.
Under the bill, larger and better-capitalized businesses would be covered by catch-up wage increases, while micro, small, and medium enterprises may receive support measures and temporary exemptions from mandated wage adjustments.
Hontiveros said the system should raise workers’ living standards while helping small businesses remain productive, innovate, and expand, especially outside Metro Manila.
The measure also seeks to simplify procedures for business registration, tax incentives, and minimum wage exemptions. It would retain the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards but revise their composition by making the Department of Labor and Employment the sole voting representative of national government agencies and adding two provincial governors as voting members in each region.
Hontiveros also called on the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, local governments, and Regional Development Councils to strengthen support programs for small enterprises.
“Malaki ang mga reporma na iyan, para umunlad ang kabuhayan sa bawat bahagi ng bansa, hindi lamang mga urban areas gaya ng Metro Manila,” she said.
She urged the 20th Congress to prioritize the bill when it opens its second regular session.
