Legislator claims 160 votes for nat’l minimum wage

HOUSE SUPPORT for a national minimum wage bill numbers 160 legislators, a party-list representative said.

In a statement, Rep. Elijah R. San Fernando said the bill would scrap the region-based wage system with a national wage-setting mechanism.

“For our other colleagues, there is still an opportunity to join us,” he said, claiming momentum after supporters numbered 123 on Monday. Bills need support from 159 legislators to pass on final reading.

Minimum wages are set by regional wage boards, which have been criticized for acting slowly and allowing wages to lag the cost of living.

Mr. San Fernando said House Bill No. 8081, which seeks to peg the initial national minimum wage to the highest current regional rate, has drawn support from both majority and minority blocs, including Speaker Faustino Dy III.

The bill also includes a three-year transition period to align regional wages with the national standard. Thirty percent of the wage gap will be addressed in the first year, 35% in the second and the remainder in the third.

After the transition, all regions will have a minimum wage equal to the initial national rate. Workers could still negotiate wages above the minimum, and a national commission will review rates annually.

Mr. San Fernando urged House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos III to schedule the bill for second reading.

“There is momentum and unity now,” he said. “Now, we just need to finish this.”

Passing the bill before May would send a “powerful signal” that legislators are committed to supporting workers, he said.

“We already have the numbers in Congress and the support of the public,” Mr. San Fernando said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio