AKBAYAN Partylist Rep. Perci Cendaña challenged the Marcos administration to set its priorities straight and certify the proposed ₱200 minimum wage increase as urgent. He also called on his colleagues in the House of Representatives to expedite committee deliberations and swiftly approve the measure, saying that Filipino workers can no longer wait for meaningful relief.
Rep. Cendaña scolded the Marcos administration for its inaction on pending wage hike legislations, “200 Peso minimum wage increase ang tunay na pamasko para sa mga manggagawa, hindi yung kathang isip na 500 noche buena. Konting bilis naman sana baka abutan pa ito ng three kings, wala pa ring taas sahod.”
“Tutal sabi ng Palasyo minonitor ni Pres. Marcos ang Trillion Peso March kahapon, sana naman pinakinggan ng pangulo ang paalala ni Cardinal David sa kanya na ‘magtrabaho ka naman’. Those words should carry more weight than the opinions of his unsympathetic economic managers who sabotaged the wage hike increase last year,” Rep. Cendaña added.
Rep. Cendaña also urged House leaders and fellow lawmakers to pass the wage hike as part of a confidence-building measure for the embattled institution.
“Kung seryoso ang Kamara na makuha ang tiwala ng taumbayan, dapat minamadali natin ang pagtaas ng kinikita ng mga manggagawa. Hirap magtiwala ang taumbayan sa mga pangakong reporma kung nakikita nila ang agwat ng pamumuhay ng mga public officials sa pamumuhay nila.” Rep. Cendaña emphasized.
Rep. Cendaña, with other Akbayan Reform Bloc members, Rep. Chel Diokno, Rep. Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao are authors of the 200 Peso wage hike measure or House Bill 766 currently pending with the House Committee on Labor and Employment.
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