MANIFESTATION OF SEN. GRACE POE ON
SBN 2534 -"₱100 Daily Minimum Wage Increase Act of 2024"
(As delivered)
FEBRUARY 19, 2024

Mr. President, I would like to thank our sponsor for ably defending this measure. It's been 35 years since the last legislated national wage hike was implemented in the Philippines. In 1989, the Wage Rationalization Act ordered a ₱25 hike from the national minimum wage of ₱64.

Bagama't may significant na pagtaas na ang minimum wage simula noon. Hirap maramdaman ito ng ating mga kababayan dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin.

In January 2024, IBON Foundation's study said a family of five in NCR needs ₱1,193 a day or ₱25,946 a month to live decently. However, the existing minimum wage in the region is still pegged at ₱610 - o kalahati lamang ng wage standard.

Ano bang mabibili ng ₱610? Considering the food threshold, a family of five will need at least ₱300 daily to meet the minimum basic food needs. This leaves the household around ₱310 to cover such needs as housing, tubig, kuryente, medical care, education at transportation. So 'yung para sa iba sa atin, na pag sinabi, nakita natin ang value meal ng McDonald's or Jollibee na less than ₱100, parang mura ba 'yon kung ganito kaliit ang sinusuweldo mo, talagang pang espesyal na okasyon na lamang ang mga ganito.

Today, I join our colleagues and the good sponsor in this noble pursuit to provide our hardworking Filipino labor force with a decent living wage.

Alam nating hindi sapat ang ₱100 na itataas upang sumagana ang buhay ng ating mga manggagawa. But this is a need we must address and a step forward that we must now take. Para naman don sa mga nag-aatubili dahil nga maaapektuhan ang mga small businesses, naklaro din ni Sen. Chiz Escudero na meron tayong mga exemptions dito, lalong-lalo na kung ₱3 million and below ang capitalization at kung less than ten employees ang isang business.

I urge employers with the means to provide supplementary allowances or benefits to extend this assistance to their employees.

In the end, the labor sector is the backbone of our economy. Pagtulung-tulungan nating mabigyan ang mga manggagawa ng disenteng buhay ang kanilang pamilya.

Maraming salamat po.