STAYING true to his promise to champion the cause of Filipino workers, Cavite 1st District Representative Jolo Revilla has refiled his bill seeking a ₱200 across-the-board daily wage increase for all private sector minimum wage earners across the country.
At the opening of the 20th Congress, Revilla refiled House Bill No. 78, also known as the Wage Hike for Minimum Wage Workers Act, to push for long-overdue economic relief for the working class amid surging prices of goods and stagnant incomes.
The measure was first filed by Revilla during the 19th Congress and was later consolidated with similar proposals calling for a nationwide wage increase. The House of Representatives approved the consolidated bill on third and final reading in early 2024 and even named its conferees to the bicameral conference committee. However, the Senate failed to act on its counterpart measure before Congress adjourned sine die—effectively derailing the bill’s passage into law.
“Refiling this measure is a clear message that we are not giving up on the fight for wage justice. Our minimum wage earners deserve more than token increases. They deserve real support,” Revilla said.
HB 78 proposes a uniform ₱200 increase in the daily minimum wage for all private sector workers nationwide. The hike shall be in addition to the prevailing wage rates set by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is mandated to ensure the bill’s effective enforcement, including sanctions for non-compliant employers.
Revilla stressed that the wage hike is not only a matter of survival for workers, but also a moral responsibility for lawmakers.
“Our workers kept our economy alive during the hardest times—from the pandemic to the economic downturn. It’s time we repay their sacrifices with more than words,” he said.
He urged both chambers of Congress to move swiftly on the measure, warning that further delays would deepen inequality and erode the dignity of labor.
Revilla also proposed that both chambers should prepare a unified, consultative bill in the 20th Congress and to prioritize bicameral alignment from the outset to avoid another collapse in coordination.
“A livable wage is not a luxury—it is the foundation of a just society,” Revilla said.
