PBBM not opposed to proposed wage hike, says Palace

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Workers keep their balance on a steel scaffolding at a construction site in Timog Avenue, Quezon City on Wednesday (April 30, 2025). (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is not against the proposed increase in the salary of minimum wage earners in the private sector but will not dictate the Congress, Malacañang said on Friday.

This, after Kabataan Party-list claimed that Marcos is the “real killer” of the legislative measure seeking a wage hike for private workers.

“Diktador ba ang Pangulong Marcos Jr.? Hindi naman po (Is President Marcos Jr. a dictator? No, he is not),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told Palace reporters, in response to the claim.

“Hayaan na lang po muna natin ang usapin na iyan sa Kongreso at ang Pangulo naman po ay hindi tutol sa increase, ang wage hike dahil ito po naman ay makabubuti sa mga manggagawa (Let’s just leave that issue to Congress for now and the President is not opposed to the increase, the wage hike because it will benefit the workers).”

While the passage of the wage hike bill remains pending, Castro said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards continue to look into the feasibility of raising workers’ salary in each region.

“Sa ngayon po, meron po tayong (Right now, we have a) current process at tatandaan niyo po, taun-taon po ay inaaral po ito ng Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board at sa bawat rehiyon, sa bawat lugar ay nagkakaroon po ng increase ng mga sweldo or sahod ang ating mga kababayan (and remember, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board takes a look at it every year and in every region, in every place, our countrymen are seeing an increase in their salaries or wages),” Castro said.

The proposed wage hike for workers in the private sector hit a snag after the 19th Congress adjourned without a reconciled version from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

During the 123rd Labor Day celebration at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, Marcos underscored the need for a thorough study of the proposal, citing its potential impact on the Philippine economy, businesses, and the labor sector.

Marcos, nevertheless, noted that 16 regions in the Philippines have already implemented wage increases since June 2024.

In a joint position paper submitted to Marcos, the country’s economic managers have warned of the “dangerous” repercussions of the proposed across-the-board minimum wage hike in the private sector, saying the plan could hurt the economy, raise inflation, and affect employment.