So the headlines screamed: “₱200 wage increase approved by the House!”
And for a brief moment, it felt like we might finally be able to afford breakfast and dinner. Workers got excited. Lawmakers posed for Facebook banners. The internet lit up with memes about finally buying “the expensive canned tuna.”
But here’s the twist:
That ₱200 increase? It’s not law yet. Not even close.
Wait—What’s the Status of the ₱200 Wage Hike?
- On June 4, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 11376, which proposes a ₱200 daily wage hike for private-sector workers. First time in 35 years, folks.
- But the Senate? They already passed their own bill back in February—₱100 only.
- Now they need to reconcile the two in a bicameral conference, and they have to do it before Congress adjourns on June 13.
If they fail?
The bill dies, and we all go back to surviving on dreams and discount rice.
Reality Check: Most Filipinos Still Won’t Benefit
Let’s say the ₱200 somehow becomes law (which is a big “if”).
Does it apply to:
- The 20+ million Filipinos working informally?
- The tricycle driver?
- The palengke vendor?
- Your cousin doing freelance video edits for ₱300 per gig?
Nope.
Minimum wage laws don’t cover them. But here’s the kicker—they still get to enjoy the inflation that comes from a wage hike. So: no raise, but yes to price increases. What a deal!
MSMEs: Suffering in Silence (and Debt)
Here’s another fact that gets swept under the rug:
99% of all businesses in the Philippines are MSMEs.
These are your neighborhood eateries, sari-sari stores, repair shops, home-based bakeries. And when you suddenly tell them to add ₱200 to every worker’s daily rate, their options are:
- Fire someone.
- Raise prices (and lose customers).
- Or shut down.
It’s like saying, “Pay more or perish.” Support? What support? The occasional DTI seminar and free ballpen?
Contractual Workers: The Permanent Temporaries
They’ve been “project-based” for five years, working 9-to-6 with zero benefits, and they still don’t count as regulars. For them, wage hikes are like phantom updates—they hear about them, but nothing ever changes in their payslip.
Unless DOLE suddenly grows fangs and starts real inspections (instead of liking tweets), these folks will keep falling through the cracks.
A Better (and Less Delusional) Solution
Let’s stop acting like a wage increase is a cure-all. If we actually want to improve people’s lives, we need real reforms, not just campaign talking points.
1. Formalize Informal Workers
Make registration painless and accessible—no 12 forms, 5 IDs, and 2 witnesses. Once they’re in the system, give them access to PhilHealth, SSS, and real protections.
2. Support MSMEs
Before demanding higher pay, give them breathing room. Tax breaks, wage subsidies, low-interest loans—something more useful than a Facebook webinar on “resilience.”
3. End Contractual Abuse
If someone’s been “contractual” longer than a Marvel movie franchise, they’re a regular employee. Don’t @ me.
4. Real Skills Training and Livelihoods
Make TESDA cool again. Give people tools to work—not just certificates to frame. Pair training with startup kits and actual job placement. Please.
5. Adjust Wages by Region and Industry
₱200 might be okay in NCR. But in Antique or Sultan Kudarat, it might collapse businesses. Let wage boards set smarter, location-based, and sector-specific rates.
Final Thought: ₱200 Isn’t the Savior We Think It Is
Yes, a ₱200 wage increase sounds amazing. But right now:
- It’s not a law.
- It’s stuck in legislative limbo.
- And even if passed, it won’t help the majority of workers—especially informal and contractual ones.
We need solutions that go beyond politics. We need systems that include everyone—yes, even the tindera, the trike driver, and the guy editing your vlog for 300 pesos.
Until then, wage hikes are just press releases that age like milk.