TUCP pushes P200 legislated wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — To address poverty, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) is calling for national unity to push for the immediate passage of the P200 legislated wage hike.

“Elections are supposed to offer solutions on issues confronting marginalized sectors of our society, particularly poverty and ENDO (end of contract) work schemes that push workers to a ‘kapit sa patalim’ (clutching a knife blade) situation where they are left scraping the bottom of the barrel for subsistence survival,” the TUCP said.

“Hence, TUCP calls on President Marcos, as the father of the nation, to rise above current political distractions and unfurl a Bagong Pilipinas policy of caring for its workers by certifying the P200 legislated wage hike as an urgent priority measure and ensure its swift passage into law before the closing of the 19th Congress,” the labor center said.

Employers have warned that a legislated wage hike across the board can lead to layoffs and shutdown of businesses, noting that over 90 percent of enterprises in the country are micro and small.

The employers point out that the law leaves wage-fixing to regional tripartite boards, and this should be followed.

The TUCP party-list is the principal author of the P200 legislated increase in the daily minimum wage, approved by the House of Representatives on second reading, and set for third and final reading this June.

The President recently raised the daily subsistence allowance for military personnel by P200 through Executive Order 84, which stated that the current subsistence allowance of the military is “no longer adequate to meet the daily sustenance of an active-duty soldier, which is essential for their well-being and performance of their duties.”

According to the March 2025 Stratbase-Social Weather Stations national survey, 27.2 percent of Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger, marking the highest level recorded since the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020.

“Emotions fanned by social media are running high, but sadly, it has not been about the dire situation of Filipino workers and their families – their desperation for a take home pay that affords them three nutritious meals on the table, which addresses the increasing stunting of our children and which can ensure that our future workforce will be competitive in the ASEAN. Has the political climate made our society too jaded to poverty and the daily sufferings of our people that all political players have diverted their attention to political wranglings?” the TUCP continued.

“For far too long, it has always been ordinary Filipinos – workers and their families – who have been the unwitting collateral damage caught in the political crossfires of competing ambitions. Desperate for action instead of distraction, Filipino working families are calling on our public servants – both sitting and aspiring – to focus on what truly matters to us: a P200 wage hike to survive,” it said.

The February 2025 Pulse Asia survey reveals that one in three Filipino voters view Philippine politics as chaotic, a sentiment shared across all regions and most socio-economic classes.

Meanwhile, the February 2025 SWS survey shows that nearly nine out of 10 voters will support candidates who champion job creation, workers’ rights and poverty reduction.

“There is far more that unites us than divides us. Whether you are from Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao, the harsh reality remains the same: over five million minimum wage earners are trapped in poverty wages while millions more are overworked and underpaid. And what of the so-called ‘wage adjustments’ from the regional wage boards? Nothing but crumbs – gone before they even reach workers’ hands. Now, with looming train, jeepney and bus fare hikes in April, workers and their families are being squeezed even harder, as if they haven’t suffered enough,” the TUCP emphasized.

“Yet instead of the urgent wage hike that workers desperately need, all we see is chaotic political wrangling that defeats optimism and crushes hope, if there’s any left at all. What remains is growing public frustration – frustration that demands the abolition of the failed regional wage board system and a call for Congress to finally take over and pass the P200 legislated wage hike into law,” it said.

As the country’s largest labor center, TUCP underscores this growing frustration, backed by hard data. The February 2025 Pulse Asia survey reveals a negative 26 net approval rating for the performance of the government in increasing workers’ wages.