Makabayan Pushes for P1,200 National Living Wage
MANILA, Philippines — Makabayan bloc lawmakers have filed a bill aiming to set a P1,200 national living wage. They criticized the recent wage board decision that approved only a P50 increase in the National Capital Region (NCR), calling it insufficient to meet workers’ needs.
ACT Teachers Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan party-list Representative Renee Co introduced House Bill No. 202 on Monday. The bill seeks to raise the minimum wage for private sector workers nationwide to a living wage of P1,200.
Wage Board Approves Modest Increase, Lawmakers Push Back
The move came after the regional wage board raised the daily minimum wage in NCR from P645 to P695 for the non-agriculture sector. For agriculture workers, the increase is from P608 to P658. This wage hike will be implemented starting July 18, 2025.
However, Tinio described the P50 increase as “measly” and an “insult” to workers struggling to keep up with rising prices and living costs.
“While corporations are raking in record profits and prices of basic commodities continue to soar, our workers are given crumbs. This P50 increase is nothing but a band-aid solution to the worsening poverty of Filipino families,” Tinio said.
He added in Filipino, “Kaya kailangan nating mapabilis ang pagpasa ng panukalang batas na naglalayong itaas ang living wage ng mga manggagawa sa buong bansa sa P1,200.”
Living Wage Still Falls Short of Needs
Using data from research groups, Tinio highlighted that the current minimum wage of P645 in NCR only covers about 52.8 percent of the P1,222 needed for a family’s basic living expenses in the region. Even with the new P695 rate, workers will still face a significant gap in meeting their essential needs with dignity.
The bill intends to address this persistent shortfall by establishing a national living wage that reflects the real cost of living for Filipino workers and their families.
Local leaders noted the urgency of increasing wages to keep pace with inflation and help alleviate poverty among workers nationwide.
For more news and updates on national wage policies, visit Filipinokami.com.