Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Men work at a construction site in Mandaluyong a day before Labor Day,  April 30, 2019. The first of May marks the annual International Workers’ Day or Labor Day in many countries across the globe, and celebrates laborers and the working class. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/174979575682720190430-workers-construction-mandaluyong-JC-4266.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Men work at a construction site in Mandaluyong a day before Labor Day,  April 30, 2019. The first of May marks the annual International Workers’ Day or Labor Day in many countries across the globe, and celebrates laborers and the working class. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Lawmakers from the Senate and House of Representatives have accused each other of being the reason the legislated wage hike bill stalled at 19th Congress as workers criticized them for their &quot;failed promise.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/11/house-adjourns-19th-congress-without-ratifying-wage-hike-bill-0120">House adjourns 19th Congress without ratifying wage hike bill</a></div><p>On Friday, Sen. Joel Villanueva, chair of the chamber&#x27;s Labor panel, said the wage hike bill was &quot;dead-on-arrival&quot; at the Senate, pinning the blame on the House of Representatives for allegedly setting it up for failure.</p><p>&quot;The House of Representatives has clearly set the stage to ensure the wage hike bill’s failure. They never had any intention of passing this measure in the first place. It was dead on arrival,&quot; Villanueva said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/13/regional-wage-boards-continue-as-wage-hike-bills-stall-dole-1227">DOLE says regional wage boards continue to do duty as Congress fails to ratify legislated wage hike</a></div><p>On Thursday, the spokesperson of the House of Representatives said the Senate killed the P200 wage hike bill by refusing to compromise.</p><p>&quot;Ayaw ng Senado na makipag-usap, ang gusto nila tanggapin na lang ng tao ang P100 nila. Bakit? Bakit binabarya ng Senado ang mga manggagawa?&quot; House spokesperson Princess Abante said.</p><p>(The Senate did not want to negotiate, what they wanted was for the people to just accept their P100 proposal. Why? Why is the Senate giving the people spare change?)</p><div><strong>TIMELINE</strong></div><p>But Villanueva said the Senate wanted the House to adopt their version of the bill passed in 2024 since there was little time to go through the House bill that was only transmitted &quot;24 hours before we started our last day of session.&quot;</p><p>The House version sought a P200 increase to the daily minimum wage.</p><p>&quot;Aral muna bago putak (Study it first before speaking)... We urged them to adopt the Senate version, given the limited time remaining to pass this important measure in the 19th Congress,&quot; the statement read.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/11/p200-or-p100-wage-hike-bill-escudero-says-it-has-to-be-senate-s-version-1907">P200 or P100 wage hike bill? Escudero says it has to be Senate&#x27;s version</a></div><p>Senate President Francis Escudero also backed Villanueva&#x27;s timeline, calling out the House for &quot;a classic case of passing the buck.&quot;</p><p>He said the Senate passed its version of the wage hike bill in February 2024 and asked the House to adopt it back then.</p><p>&quot;But the measure was not acted upon by the lower chamber until a few hours before the adjournment on June 11, 2025, leaving no ample time for discussion and the convening of the bicameral conference committee,&quot; he added.</p><div><strong>NOT REALISTIC?</strong></div><p>Senators also refuted the claim that they are shortchanging the laborers by only pushing for a P100 wage hike. </p><p>&quot;We all know the businessmen, the small and medium enterprises cannot afford such a large sum,&quot; Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said.</p><p>He said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would likely veto a proposed increase of P200.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/12/labor-groups-slam-congress-for-delay-in-tackling-wage-hike-1134">&#x27;Pinaasa nila ang mga manggagawa&#x27;: Labor groups slam Congress for delay in tackling wage hike</a></div><p>&quot;We could have had a landmark law for our hardworking Filipinos if only we allowed realism and sincerity to rule over false pretense,&quot; Villanueva also said.</p><p>Think tank IBON Foundation and supporters of the wage hike have asserted businesses can afford the wage increases without raising prices by lowering profit margins. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/1/29/-family-living-wage-pushed-to-address-rising-cost-of-basic-goods-ofw-deployment-1926">&#x27;Family living wage&#x27; pushed to address rising cost of basic goods, OFW deployment</a></div><p>They also said higher wages would mean workers would have more to spend. That, in turn, would help the economy.</p><p>The wage hike bill will have to be filed again in the 20th Congress and go through hearings and floor debates.</p><p>Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno has meanwhile placed the blame on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his economic advisers and unnamed “accomplices” for the failed passage of the bill.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/11/econ-managers-oppose-wage-hike-bills-citing-impact-on-inflation-msmes-growth-1439">Econ managers oppose wage hike bills citing impact on inflation, MSMEs, growth<br/></a></div><p>“Sa kanyang utos, at sa pagpapatumpik-tumpik ng Senado, ipinagkait sa manggagawang Pilipino ang sana&#x27;y kauna-unahang pambansang dagdag-sahod sa loob ng 36 na taon,” it said.</p><p>(At his order and because of the Senate&#x27;s dilly-dallying, Filipino workers have been deprived of what would have been the first national wage increase in 36 years)</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</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/uxC_0y7OZ5g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></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/LurM6dm4dQM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Senate President Francis Escudero called out the House of Representatives for "a classic case of passing the buck."</p>

Senate President Francis Escudero called out the House of Representatives for "a classic case of passing the buck."

Who 'killed' the wage hike bill? Senate, House trade accusations

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Who 'killed' the wage hike bill? Senate, House trade accusations

Jauhn Etienne Villaruel,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jun 13, 2025 03:26 PM PHT

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Updated Jun 13, 2025 05:34 PM PHT

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Senate

House of Representatives

wage hike

wage hike bill

wage

minimum wage

politics

workers

labor

laborers

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