Solon Urges Marcos to Prioritize P200 Wage Hike Bill as Hunger and Poverty Surge

House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza is urging President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a bill that would grant a ₱200 daily wage hike for private sector workers, citing alarming levels of poverty and hunger in the country.

Mendoza, who represents the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) party-list, emphasized that the proposed wage increase is not just timely, but essential.
“When half the country says they are poor, no amount of sugarcoating can hide that truth,” he said. “Only a long-overdue ₱200 wage hike—not emergency jobs or welfare—can break the cycle of poverty wages.”

His appeal follows a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that 52% of Filipino families—about 14.4 million households—rated themselves as poor in March, a slight increase from February. Hunger also surged, affecting 27.2% of households, including 35.6% of those who consider themselves poor.

Mendoza stressed that millions of workers lack union protection and security of tenure, making a legislated wage hike vital. He also cited data showing that current minimum wages fall below both the national poverty line and the estimated ₱693.30 daily cost of the government’s “Pinggang Pinoy” food guide for a family of five.

He criticized delays in wage action: “When one in three Filipinos is going hungry, this is a national emergency. We don’t need more studies or empty reassurances. We need action.”

A presidential certification of urgency would fast-track the bill’s approval by allowing Congress to pass it on second and third reading on the same day.

Mendoza called on Marcos to meet with labor leaders and certify the measure before May 1—Labor Day—saying the nation’s top concerns remain prices, wages, and jobs.

While the House bill passed the committee level before the campaign break, the Senate version proposes only a ₱100 increase. The two chambers must reconcile their versions before the 19th Congress ends on June 13.