Senators back 'timely, meaningful' wage hike

SENATORS Grace Poe and Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Wednesday that with the soaring prices of basic goods, a wage increase will be a timely and meaningful gift to workers.

The senators made the remark on the eve of Labor Day.

"As the backbone of the economy, the Filipino labor force deserves a decent living wage that will give their families a respectable standard of living," Poe said in her Labor Day message.

Zubiri, meanwhile, recognized the "tireless spirit of our workers who build our cities, drive our economy, and sustain the hopes of every family."

"This is why I reaffirm my full commitment to push for a daily minimum wage increase: whether it's the P100 hike already approved by the Senate, the proposed P200 increase in the House of Representatives, or any reasonable amount in between that brings real relief to our workers," he said in a statement.

"Amid the rising cost of basic goods and services, this is no longer a matter of choice but of justice. Filipino workers have waited long enough. They deserve not just praise, but policies that uplift them, protect their rights, and honor their sacrifices," Zubiri said.

"Through the years, I have stood firmly with our labor sector, championing legislation that protects the rights and upholds the welfare of employees in both the public and private sectors. But the work is far from over," he added.

Poe urged employers with the means to provide allowances or benefits to extend this assistance to their employees.

"Not to forget our workers in the informal sector, we have filed the proposed Magna Carta of Workers in the Informal Economy at the start of the 19th Congress. They account for a large portion of the labor force and a substantial portion of the domestic economy," she said.

"We cannot speak of economic growth when those who make it possible continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Real progress must be felt at the dining table, in the classrooms where workers send their children, and in homes they struggle to build," Zubiri said.