Take Your Vow for a Wage Hike Too

We, the workers, also urge lawmakers to take an oath—not just as judges and prosecutors in the impeachment court—but to pass the long-pending legislated wage hike currently stalled in Congress. 

 

Earlier, Senate President Chiz Escudero took his oath as presiding judge, and today or tomorrow, senators may don their judicial robes to swear into their roles. 

 

However, the wage hike bill still lacks Senate conferees for the Bicameral Conference Committee. Some senators have even stated that they will thoroughly review the proposal they had already approved, which could stall its passage in the remaining two days. 

 

The impeachment trial that has begun will drag on into the 20th Congress, while the P100-P200 wage hike bill languishes in the bicameral stage, at risk of never reaching Malacañang to become law. 

 

The wage hike bill also faces intense pressure of a capitalist veto due to opposition from business groups and Bongbong Marcos’ economic managers. 

 

We believe Congress still has the persuasive power to pass this bill—even in the last two minutes of the session—if both chambers unite. 

 

Failure to do so would be a betrayal of duty and a surrender to the capitalist lobby against workers. 

 

This failure would only reinforce our belief that Sara’s impeachment alone is insufficient without accompanying reforms, as seen in past impeachments. 

 

Reform must go beyond Sara’s impeachment. Addressing workers’ demands to reverse policies that keep wages at starvation and poverty levels is a far greater injustice that lawmakers need to rectify.

 

Workers troop to Senate for P200 wage hike as urgent reform along with impeachment

 

Members of labor groups Partido Manggagawa (PM) and the Nagkaisa labor coalition trooped to the Senate this morning for the final push for the legislated P200 salary increase. Some 400 workers and supporters joined the mobilization at the Senate to call for the immediate convening of the bicameral committee to come up with a final version. The Senate passed a P100 wage hike while the House of Representatives enacted P200.

 

“We demand that Congress proceed forthwith with organizing the bicam for a final version of the legislated wage increase,” asserted Judy Miranda, PM secretary general.

 

About 100 PM members accompanied Miranda in the Senate rally this morning. Later in the afternoon, the group also linked up with multi-sectoral organizations Kalipunan and Tindig Pilipinas which are calling for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte to proceed.

 

PM is supporting the call for accountability by Sara Duterte but is insisting that social reforms—such as the wage hike—must be enacted aside from the impeachment of the Vice President. PM raised the demand “Reporma lagpas kay Sara” in the mobilization today. This was also the group’s position when the impeachment case was filed against the Vice President last year.

 

Miranda added that “The P200 wage hike is not excessive but responds appropriately to the wage recovery demand and workers’ just share in the fruits of production. Rigorous research belies the black propaganda and blackmail of employers against wage hikes.” Several academic studies in the Philippines and in other countries have found that substantial salary adjustments do not lead to job losses or higher prices.

 

CONVENE BICAM NOW: RECONCILE WAGE HIKES BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT

The Senate must urgently convene the bicameral conference committee to reconcile the proposed wage increases—P200 (House) and P100 (Senate)—and ratify a final version before Congress adjourns. With only three session days left, any delay at the bicam level risks killing this historic opportunity to grant workers a long-overdue, substantial wage hike. 

 

The constitutional duty of Congress does not end with passing bills; it includes ensuring their timely enactment. While the Senate must comply with its impeachment mandate, it should not neglect its equally critical obligation to workers struggling under stagnant wages. 

 

Even if the bicam beats the clock, the fight is not over: The bill still needs the President’s signature. But combined pressure from Congress and sustained mobilization by labor groups can break the gridlock. The government must act decisively—inaction will only embolden employers who have always opposed wage hikes, no matter how modest. 

 

The choice is clear: Side with workers demanding dignity or surrender to capitalist veto. We call on both chambers to prioritize the bicam, and on Malacañang to heed the people’s call. The time for collective action is now.

Labor group slams zero Philhealth subsidy and asks for resignation of DoH Secretary

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed the Congressional bicameral conference committee for not allocating any subsidy for Philhealth in the 2025 national budget. “It is the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte and all other officials that must be taken out, not support for health insurance of workers and the people. Zero subsidy for Philhealth, NO! Zero budget for confidential funds, YES!,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and Marikina city councilor.

 

However, the group added this is also partly the fault of Department of Health (DoH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa. PM called for the resignation of Herbosa for his failure to make good on commitments to improve Philhealth benefits for its members, many of whom are workers. “Sectary Herbosa should step down since he cannot do his job and make good on his promises. He committed to increasing by 50% across-the-board hike in Philhealth benefits which has not materialized. Philhealth has excess funds since it is scrimping on benefits. Herbosa, Alis dyan!,” stated Magtubo.

 

Philhealth announced a package of additional benefits for members last week. However, PM asserted that this falls short of the promised improved benefits that the DoH and Philhealth committed to during budget deliberations in Congress.

 

PM’s demand for Herbosa’s resignation is part of the group’s advocacy for quality public services. PM earlier joined the Nagkaisa labor coalition in filing as intervenor in the Supreme Court case to oppose the transfer of P90 billion of Philhealth’s excess funds to the National Treasury. The group has also been demanding public laundromats and whole day childcare centers to ease the burdens of employed and unemployed women.

 

PM’s call for Herbosa’s resignation follows the earlier demand of Agri partylist Representative Wilbert Lee. Magtubo averred that “A new DoH Secretary who is sincere in serving the people and delivers on promises would be a good Christmas gift to workers who deserve good governance and quality health services.”

 

Herbosa has also been criticized by other solons for lack of vaccines or expired ones in the DoH inventory. Last week the Commission on Audit flagged the DoH for P11 billion worth of vaccines, medicines and medical supplies which cannot be used anymore since they are past expiration dates.

 

“The wanton waste of people’s money is criminal. Resigning is the honorable thing to do. In other cultures, public officials even commit hara-kiri. But we don’t demand that. We only ask for better Health Secretaries who can do their jobs,” Magtubo explained.

Press Release

December 13, 2024

 

Women workers welcome EML's passage in the House

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) welcomes the passage of HB 4113 or the Expanded Maternity bill that entitles working women to a 100-day paid maternity leave.

The House version is 20 days shorter than the 120-day provision passed by the Senate last year. Thus women groups are still hopeful that the small gap can still be worked out in the bicameral conference committee.

"We commend the sponsors of the bill for the hard work spent in ensuring that this bill reaches this stage. And of course to the chairperson of the women committee, Rep. Bernadette Herrera (PL BH), for steering this measure into its final enactment," said PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

Miranda said the HOR version is just above the 98-day maternity leave recommended by the International Labor Organization (ILO) but far lower than the levels in ASEAN.

She added that "We know it can still be worked out in the bicam level. The longer the maternity leave, the better for mothers, their children, and their family members.”

Miranda noted that LPGMA partylist Rep. Arnel Ty tried to derail the passage of the EML during the debates by taking the position of employers who are all opposed to the bill.

"We were aware of Rep. Ty's position as he truly represented the interests of business in Congress. It is this kind of representation that defined his opposition to EML. He, of course, cannot stand as a businessman and a worker at the same time. This measure is for workers, especially women," concluded Miranda.

4 September 2018