MANILA – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has clarified that it does not oppose the proposed wage hike law. Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma emphasized that the role of DOLE, particularly through the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), is to provide technical advice to lawmakers who ultimately decide on the legislation. Speaking at the Jobstreet Career Con 2025 in Pasay City, Laguesma stated, ‘We are not against it (wage law). We only provide scenarios about that.’ This statement comes in response to ongoing discussions about a potential wage increase. On the previous day, Speaker Martin Romualdez announced that the House of Representatives is set to advocate for a bill that would increase the daily minimum wage by PHP200. This announcement followed a meeting with various labor groups. The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition expressed support for Romualdez’s initiative, pointing out that the wage hike bill has been stuck in the Labor committee since March of the previous year. Sonny Matula, the coalition’s chairperson, stressed that any legislated wage increase should be applied nationwide.
DOLE Clarifies Stance on Wage Increase Legislation
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