The House of Representatives has transmitted the P200 daily minimum wage hike bill to the Senate and designated its bicameral conference panel, signaling its full readiness to finalize the measure.
“The bill was transmitted already to the Senate yesterday, and there are names who will sit as representatives of the lower chamber for the bicameral conference,” House spokesperson, lawyer Princess Abante, said in a mix of English and Filipino.
Abante added that the names of the Senate conferees to the bicameral conference committee have yet to be transmitted to the House of Representatives, which is prepared to stand by its version of the bill. “The House will stand by its version for the good of our people,” Abante said.
House Bill 11376, or the proposed “Wage Hike for Minimum Wage Workers Act,” was passed on third and final reading in the House with an overwhelming vote of 171 in favor, one against, and no abstentions. It mandates an across-the-board increase of P200 per day for minimum wage earners in the private sector.
Abante clarified that the House respects the deliberative process of both chambers in reconciling differences in the final version of the wage hike proposal: “We respect what will be the debate and discussion of the two meetings regarding the final version of this measure. But this should be what we can guarantee, that fair wage that should not be delayed for our people,” she concluded.
However, Senate President Francis Escudero noted that bills looking to raise the minimum daily wage are not a priority of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). LEDAC, which is made up of cabinet secretaries and Senate and House leaders, lays down the economic policies of the administration, which are supposed to be turned into law.
Escudero said House lawmakers who pushed the P200 wage hike bill should have brought it up before the LEDAC. “If they were going to pass it, why didn’t they bring it up before LEDAC so that it could’ve been discussed. This isn’t a small matter that can’t be mentioned or discussed. What’s this? Something thought of after LEDAC?,” the Senate chief said.
Escudero added that the House bill will need to be reconciled with the P100 wage hike bill approved by the Senate.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has logged one of the most productive sessions in its history, with a total of 13,867 measures filed and 280 landmark laws enacted under the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
“For the 19th Congress under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, I’m happy to report that the House of Representatives is now one of the most productive Congress in history,” said House spokesperson Abante in a press conference.
According to Abante, the chamber received 11,506 House bills and 2,361 resolutions. Out of these, 347 resolutions were adopted, and 1,493 measures were approved by the House – 280 of which have already been signed into law.
The House of Representatives has also approved on final reading 27 of the 28 LEDAC-endorsed priority bills. In addition, under the broader Common Legislative Agenda (CLA), the chamber successfully approved 61 out of 64 measures. These figures underscore the House’s efficiency and alignment with the administration’s development goals.
“Unfortunately, 739 are still pending before the Senate of the Philippines for their approval on third reading,” Abante said.
“These are not ordinary bills – they are urgent reforms sought by sectors across the country. They are solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by Filipino families, workers, students, seniors and OFWs,” she added.
Among the stalled measures are critical bills for social welfare and senior citizens, such as the Universal Social Pension for All Senior Citizens and Expanded Employment Opportunities for Seniors. Also included is the Magna Carta for Informal Ambulant Vendors, which aims to protect small livelihoods nationwide.
In the digital services sector, the House passed measures for Cheaper and More Accessible Internet, especially for public schools and underserved barangays.
Also awaiting Senate action is the Public Telecom Refund Act and the bill allowing Digital Voting for Seniors, PWDs, and frontliners.
For job creation and worker protection, measures such as the Magna Carta for Freelancers, Mandatory Insurance for Line Workers, and Tripartite Council Against Job Mismatch are among those still pending. Expanded protections against discrimination in the workplace also await third reading approval.
Health and education-related bills such as the Philippine CDC, mental health services in SUCs, and a voucher system for poor but deserving students in private colleges are also in the Senate’s queue.
For OFWs and migrant workers, the House passed the OFW Remittance Protection Law, the expansion of legal aid funds for OFWs, and the OFW Hospital Institutionalization Act – all still pending Senate approval.
Environmental and housing-related reforms like the National Land Use Act, Balanced Housing Reform Law, and Green Public Procurement Act are part of the 739 measures.
Also still waiting in the upper chamber are critical bills on local transport and disaster response, including the Magna Carta for Tricycle Drivers and Operators, Free Freight of Relief Goods Act, and Rightsizing the Bureaucracy.
“The House has already passed 1,493 measures – 739 of them are still waiting in the Senate. These aren’t just bills. These are pensions, internet, jobs, housing and protection for every Filipino,” said Abante.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “P200 wage hike bill transmitted to Senate; House bicam team ready.”