Camille Naredo

Senatorial candidate Atty. Luke Espiritu answers questions during Harapan 2025 at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City on February 18, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Senatorial Candidate Atty. Luke Espiritu answers questions during Harapan 2025 at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City on February 18, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Harapan 2025

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178280999327920250218-harapan-luke-espiritu-JC-6.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Senatorial candidate Atty. Luke Espiritu answers questions during Harapan 2025 at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City on February 18, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Senatorial candidate Atty. Luke Espiritu answers questions during Harapan 2025 at the ABS-CBN headquarters in Quezon City on February 18, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA — Citing a supposed lack of transparency, a labor group spoke out against the decision for the House Committee on Labor &amp; Employment to convene an executive session to decide on the substitute bill regarding a proposed wage hike.The measure could follow the same path as that of the bill against political dynasties, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino President Luke Espiritu warned on Tuesday.According to Espiritu, there were multiple versions from lawmakers, but what gained approval was a measure that ultimately favored political dynasties. “Tingin ko ‘yan ay walang katranspa-transparency. Ang ayaw nating mangyari ay parang tulad sa bill ng anti-dynasty na ang dami-daming bills na anti-dynasty law na mas maganda, tapos maraming version na dapat mas deserving na ipasa. Tapos ito ay ni-reduce lamang sa so-called consolidated version na ‘yan ay version lamang ng iisa ‘yung bill na pabor sa mga dynastiya,” Espiritu told reporters after the House panel’s hearing.In a hearing on Tuesday, the House labor committee approved a motion for them to meet in executive session after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) to decide on the substitute bill regarding measures on the wage hike. “There is a motion to convene an executive session after the SONA to decide on the substitute bill on wage. Any objection? Any second? Seconded. The motion is hereby approved,” the House panel’s chairperson, Cavite 1st District Representative Ramon Jolo Revilla III said.Espiritu also feared that the consolidated version would result in a wage increase that is implemented in phases. “Maraming mga magagandang bills, proposals, at babagsak lang sa version na hindi pabor sa manggagawa. Ang mas masama pa ‘pag nagkaroon ng consolidated bill na hulugan. ‘Yan ang problema sa lack of transparency,” Espiritu told reporters.“Mas magandang buksan ang pag-uusap kung ano ba talaga ang consolidated bill sa isang proseso ng mas matindi pang konsultasyon sa mga labor groups,” Espiritu added.ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio said the intention was to speed up the consolidation of bills, and the substitute bill will eventually be presented to the committee.“Nagpahayag nga ako ng reserbasyon kanina, ‘di ba– Bakit gagawing executive session? Ang intention naman daw nila ay para mapabilis ‘yung pag-consolidate sa mga bill into one bill. Pero in the end, ipe-present pa rin ‘yan sa komite. So kaya hindi pa rin makakalampas ang bill na ‘to at ‘di maaaprubahan kung hindi dadalhin sa komite… Unfortunately, executive session pa ‘yung ginawang pamamaraan. Pero in the end, aabot din ito sa komite,” Tinio said.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/6/30/labor-chief-announces-historic-p85-day-wage-hike-in-metro-manila-1127">READ: Labor chief announces &#x27;historic&#x27; P85/day wage hike in Metro Manila</a></div>There are 11 House bills seeking a P200 daily wage increase for minimum wage workers in the private sector.“1989 pa po ang last legislated wage wike. That’s 37 years ago… We almost broke that long wait last Congress. Pero tulad po ng nabanggit ko, last Congress, we failed the Filipino worker,” Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña said during a meeting on Tuesday.A motion to endorse the request of labor groups present at the hearing for a dialogue with Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino was also approved.

Citing a supposed lack of transparency, a labor group spoke out against the decision for the House Committee on Labor &amp; Employment to convene an executive session to decide on the substitute bill regarding a proposed wage hike.

Citing a supposed lack of transparency, a labor group spoke out against the decision for the House Committee on Labor & Employment to convene an executive session to decide on the substitute bill regarding a proposed wage hike.

House panel decision to convene executive session on wage hike substitute bill slammed

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House panel decision to convene executive session on wage hike substitute bill slammed

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 30, 2026 05:04 PM PHT

Read More:

wage hike

House of Representatives

minimum wage

Metro Manila

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