Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Senate President Chiz Escudero and Speaker Martin Romualdez at Malacañang Palace on June 3, 2024. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748847016344Screen Shot 2025-06-02 at 2.49.54 PM.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Senate President Chiz Escudero and Speaker Martin Romualdez at Malacañang Palace on June 3, 2024. Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senate President Chiz Escudero and Speaker Martin Romualdez at Malacañang Palace on June 3, 2024. <em>Yummie Dingding, PPA Pool</em></span></span></span>MANILA (UPDATE) — Various groups staged a rally Monday in front of the House of Representatives to call on lawmakers to pass the proposed P200 legislated minimum wage, as the 19th Congress resumes session on Monday.</div><p>Among those who joined the rally are members of the National Wage Coalition—composed of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition (NAGKAISA!), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/1/house-urged-to-pass-p200-wage-hike-before-19th-congress-adjourns-1600">House urged to pass P200 wage hike before 19th Congress adjourns</a></div><p>“With only six session days left in June, every Filipino worker and their family is counting on the commitment of Speaker Martin Romualdez and the members of the House of Representatives to be truly the House of the People. This is the moment of truth. Let us not fail the more than five million minimum wage earners who have suffered for far too long,&quot; the coalition said.</p><p>&quot;Workers across the nation are closely watching and placing their full trust in Congress to pass the P200 legislated wage hike before anything else because to do otherwise is not merely neglect of  duty but betrayal of trust,” it added.</p><p>House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro said the workers are not asking for much. </p><p>“Kailangan natin igiit ‘yung P200. Maliit na nga ‘yun... Hindi natin ito titigilan, kahit tapos na po ang eleksyon… Harapin na dapat ng gobyerno ang issue ng ating mga mamamayan,” she said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/2024/2/12/house-econ-leaders-reject-legislated-wage-hike-proposal-1730">House econ leaders reject Senate&#x27;s legislated wage hike proposal</a></div><p>House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas issued the same call in a privilege speech before the House plenary, saying the P645 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila is far from the living wage.</p><p>“Under the current administration, dadalawang barya-baryang taas-sahod pa lamang ang naipatutupad—ni hindi nga ito ramdam ng pangkaraniwang mamamayan dahil sa patong-patong at napakahamahal na presyo ng mga bilihin at bayarin,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;And now that we are presented with the rare opportunity to significantly raise our workers’ wages, hiling nating hindi na tayo bitinin at tipirin pa,” Brosas added.</p><p>In a chance interview on Monday, House Speaker Martin Romualdez said he will leave the decision to the plenary on whether the lower chamber will pass the proposed legislated wage hike on final reading within the 19th Congress.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/business/08/31/23/zubiri-vows-legislated-wage-hike-by-year-end">&#x27;Great Christmas gift&#x27;: Zubiri vows to pass legislated wage hike by year-end</a></div><p>“We&#x27;ll leave it to the wisdom and the sound discretion of the plenary,” he said. </p><p>The P200 daily minimum wage hike bill was approved on 2nd reading by the House of Representatives last February. </p><p>If approved on final reading and there are disagreeing provisions between the House and the Senate-approved versions, the bill will have to go through the bicameral conference committee, and its report will have to be approved by both chambers, before submission to the Office of the President for his decision.</p><div><strong>OTHER HOUSE BILLS</strong></div><p>Among the bills Romualdez urged his fellow congressmen to work on in the next two weeks are the proposed Open Access in Data Transmission Act, the proposed E-Governance Act, and the proposed legislation on Artificial intelligence to embrace innovation while protecting ethics, privacy and human dignity.</p><p>He also called on the House to defend the democratic institutions from disinformation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/27/house-names-new-spokesperson-to-combat-fake-news-1600">House names new spokesperson to combat &#x27;fake news&#x27;</a></div><p>“As we prepare to close this chapter, we must also defend the democratic institutions we represent. Fake news. Online manipulation. Disinformation. These are not just annoyances — they are threats to the truth and to trust. Let the House of the People be a bastion of fact, reason, and fairness. Let us defend the public’s right to know the truth, and protect the sanctity of our elections and institutions,” Romualdez said. </p><p>“Let us support the P20 rice program of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. — not just as a national policy, but as a promise to every Filipino family struggling to make ends meet,” he added.</p><div><strong>SENATE CHIEF SEES APPROVAL OF MOST OF LEDAC PRIORITIES</strong></div><p>At the upper chamber, Senate President Francis Escudero believes as many as 9 of the 12 priority bills of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council maybe approved by them before the sine die adjournment, with 3 bills expected to meet some difficulty.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/30/sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-not-tackled-during-ledac-palace-1549">Sara Duterte&#x27;s impeachment trial not tackled during LEDAC: Palace</a></div><p>The Senate chief listed the following LEDAC priorities as reasons for the rescheduling of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte today:</p><p>1. Amendments to the Foreign Investors’ Long-Term Lease Act</p><p>2. E-Governance Act</p><p>3. Open Access in Data Transmission (Konektadong Pinoy Act)</p><p>4. Rationalization of the Fiscal Mining Regime</p><p>5. Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act</p><p>6. Virology Institute of the Philippines</p><p>7. Government Optimization Act</p><p>8. Amendments to the Right-of-Way Act</p><p>9. Setting the Term of Office of Barangay Officials and Members of the Sangguniang Kabataan</p><p>10. Judicial Fiscal Autonomy</p><p>11. Denatured Alcohol Tax</p><p>12. Anti-POGO Act</p><p>&quot;Hanggang siyam ang binilang ko over the weekend, pipilitin namin yung nananatiling tatlo. Magdedepende yan kung gano&#x27;ng katigas, kung gano&#x27;ng kalambot, ang magiging usapan sa bicam sa pagitan ng Kamara at ng Senado sa ilang mga kontrobersyal na panukalang batas,&quot; Escudero said. </p><p>&quot;Kabilang na halimbawa, yung resetting o non-resetting ng barangay and SK Elections,&quot; he added.</p><p>Both houses of Congress have two weeks left to pass priority measures before the 19th Congress adjourns sine die.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7JK-9T6Xsn0?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Various groups staged a rally Monday in front of the House of Representatives to call on lawmakers to pass the proposed P200 legislated minimum wage, as the 19th Congress resumes session on Monday.</p>

Various groups staged a rally Monday in front of the House of Representatives to call on lawmakers to pass the proposed P200 legislated minimum wage, as the 19th Congress resumes session on Monday.

House leaves fate of wage hike bill to plenary; Senate optimistic on LEDAC bills

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House leaves fate of wage hike bill to plenary; Senate optimistic on LEDAC bills

Vivienne Gulla,

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 02, 2025 03:20 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 02, 2025 06:09 PM PHT

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