A HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES committee on Tuesday approved a bill barring second-degree relatives from holding public office at the same time, marking a step forward in efforts to curb political dynasties under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s governance reform agenda.

The House Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Committee passed an unnumbered substitute measure that would bar spouses and relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity and affinity from occupying national elective posts simultaneously.

The measure also restricts families from holding multiple provincial positions and limits the number of congressional seats that can be occupied by relatives within a single legislative district.

“This is still a step forward,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong, committee chairman, told a news briefing after the committee approval. The version they passed is supposed to be more enforceable than broader proposals covering up to fourth-degree relatives.

Mr. Marcos has made limiting political dynasties a priority after public criticism over alleged misuse of billions of pesos in congressional district funds.

Supporters view the bill as a cornerstone of broader governance reform efforts following a graft scandal tied to flood control projects.

The substitute measure is designed to take effect immediately in the next election cycle. Candidates seeking public office must file affidavits declaring they do not have any second-degree relatives holding elective posts.

Despite the approval, some lawmakers and critics argue the measure is too weak to dismantle entrenched dynasties.

“What they passed is a travesty of the Constitution,” House Senior Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice told reporters. The 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties but requires an enabling law to take effect.

The committee’s version was selected because lawmakers think it could secure majority support in the chamber. “This is the version we think we could pass in the House, and we think we could get the most support,” Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith T. Flores told the same briefing with Mr. Adiong.

Business groups and civil society groups have called for a stricter law covering relatives up to the fourth degree and preventing officials from rotating positions to circumvent term limits.

The coalition, which includes the Makati Business Club, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Management Association of the Philippines, also proposed a “cooling-off” period to stop officials from immediately returning to the same position after a term.

Mr. Adiong said advocates could pursue a referendum if they want broader reforms. “They are free to do whatever they want,” he said.

The bill’s passage reflects a balancing act: addressing public demand for reform while ensuring sufficient support among lawmakers, many of whom belong to political families themselves.

Eight in 10 congressmen are part of dynasties, according to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

The Senate has advanced its own proposal. The chamber’s Electoral Reforms Committee submitted a report to the plenary last month seeking to bar relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from holding public office simultaneously or in overlapping terms.

Under Senate Bill No. 1901, relatives or spouses would be barred from holding simultaneous or overlapping terms in national and local offices, as well as from occupying positions across party-list groups and elective posts.

It also prohibits immediate succession, preventing a spouse or relative from taking over a position right after an incumbent family member’s term.

The bill authorizes the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to cancel the certificate of candidacy of people found to be part of a political dynasty or those who willfully conceal such relationships. All aspirants must submit sworn declarations stating they do not fall within the prohibited degree of relation.

Concealment of information, falsification of documents, malicious filings, coercion or engineered resignations to enable relatives to run would be treated as election offenses under the Omnibus Election Code. In cases where multiple relatives file for the same position and none withdraw voluntarily, Comelec may resort to drawing lots.

As the measure moves to the House plenary, attention will focus on whether lawmakers adopt stricter provisions or allow the limited second-degree restriction to become law, leaving broader dynasty reforms for future sessions. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

ALMOST half of Philippine congressmen have expressed support for a bill that would replace the region-based wage system with a centralized national minimum wage, a lawmaker said late on Monday.

Party-list Rep. Elijah R. San Fernando said 123 lawmakers have backed the proposal, signaling momentum for the measure despite potential opposition from employers.

“This is a strong signal that Congress is listening,” he said in a statement in mixed English and Filipino. “There is strong support for this proposal.”

Minimum wages are set by regional wage boards. Critics have long cited slow and insufficient increases amid rising prices, arguing that Filipinos face largely similar living costs nationwide.

House Bill No. 8081 will set the initial national minimum wage at the highest existing regional rate. In the National Capital Region, the daily minimum wage is P695 for nonagriculture workers and P658 for workers in plantations or small establishments with 15 or fewer employees.

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 said the measure could be taken up on the House floor as early as next week.

He said only 159 votes are needed for approval, and with more than 120 lawmakers already supporting it, its passage is within reach. “The support is here. Now we must deliver.”

Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III has expressed support for the proposal, meeting with leaders of workers’ unions to reaffirm backing, Mr. San Fernando said last week.

“Once we reach this level of support, it is clear this is no longer a minority position,” he added. “This is becoming the position of the House, across party lines and political divides.”

While the bill has gained significant traction, industry groups may push back against the centralization of wage-setting, warning that uniform rates could strain businesses in lower-cost regions.

The measure represents a major shift in labor policy, with potential implications for employment, inflation and regional competitiveness.

If passed, the bill would mark the first nationwide minimum wage system in the Philippines, consolidating authority from regional boards into a single, standardized framework. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio