House leader vows to tackle P125 wage increase measure

House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles promised yesterday to schedule floor debates for a bill seeking a P125 increase in the minimum daily wage.

"For the record, as majority leader, I have committed to take up the P125 wage hike bill in plenary after the tax measures are finished. We are about to finish the anti-smuggling bill, which seeks the death penalty for big-time smugglers. After that, we will allow the wage hike measures to be sponsored and debates (held) even if it’s certified urgent by President Arroyo," he said.

Asked if he and other House leaders were committed to approving the measure, Nograles said, "I cannot control how the 236 members will vote. Let every one of them make a judgment call."

He made the commitment after several unsuccessful attempts by the bill’s authors to have the measure taken up in plenary session. Each attempt has been blunted by the majority, whose members were the ones questioning the quorum instead of the minority, as has been the practice.

Monday was the last time the bill’s authors tried to open debates on the measure. When the quorum question was raised, the presiding officer ordered a roll call, which showed that there were 114 members present, just five members shy of the number needed to start the session. The presiding officer promptly ordered an adjournment.

Earlier, Nograles said the House supported President Arroyo’s directive for the regional wage boards to adjust wages before the end of the month.

He said lawmakers would prefer that the boards fix wages based on economic conditions prevailing in their regions, instead of Congress legislating a salary adjustment.

In a related development, Deputy Speaker Benigno Aquino III proposed the grant of annual productivity bonuses to all workers in the private sector to help them cope with the rising cost of living.

In Bill 4251, Aquino said the bonus should be equivalent to 10 percent of the company’s net profits.

"Now that Congress has passed the tax bills for the resurgence of the country’s economy, it’s time that we focus on measures to help people in the lower echelons of our society," he said.

Another bill filed by Aquino seeks heavier penalties for employers violating wage adjustment orders.

The Tarlac lawmaker urged Mrs. Arroyo to certify his bills as urgent so they can be approved quickly by the House.