The proposed legislated wage hike for private sector workers was left hanging as the House of Representatives adjourned sine die without reconciling its version of the bill with that of the Senate, missing the last opportunity for the measure to be sent to Malacañang for approval.
The lower chamber had pushed for a ₱200 daily wage increase, double the ₱100 proposed by the Senate. However, both sides failed to strike a compromise during the bicameral process before the 19th Congress concluded its session.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero earlier said he would have welcomed the House simply adopting the Senate’s version, but criticized the lower chamber’s ₱200 proposal for being rushed and lacking clear justification.
Senator Joel Villanueva also made a last-minute appeal for the House to accept the Senate’s more modest wage hike proposal.
But House Committee on Labor and Employment Chairperson Rep. Fidel Nograles stood firm, insisting that, “the House strongly prefers a transparent and deliberative bicameral process, rather than being bamboozled into accepting the Senate version wholesale, without discussion or compromise.”
The bill’s exclusion from the list of Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priorities also worked against its passage.
Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno condemned the outcome, calling the legislature’s inaction “unacceptable” and “unforgivable” amid the rising cost of living faced by Filipino workers.
