President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. should have no problem certifying as urgent the proposed minimum wage hike if he can raise military and uniformed personnel’s (MUP) salaries, lawmakers said on Friday.
In a statement, House Deputy Speaker and TUCP party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza said there should be no double standard, as workers have also waited a long time for their wages to increase.
‘Mr. President, there should be no double standard. If we can raise the salaries of uniformed personnel, we can also raise the wages of Filipino workers. As we recognize the service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform, let us not lose sight of our over five million minimum wage earners who work too hard yet are paid too little for far too long,’ Mendoza said.
‘We should also acknowledge and reward our workers who continue to sacrifice while serving in their offices and workplaces, even as they and their families struggle with hunger, poverty, and lack of future prospects,’ he added.
Mendoza said he understands the need to boost the morale of police and military officers, but workers also need support and play an important role in society.
‘What about the morale, health, and dignity of our workers and their families and children-the future of our nation? Just like our nation’s defenders, Filipino workers continue to drive our industries and economy with their labor productivity despite being denied a substantial legislated wage hike since 1989 and deprived of their Constitutional right to a living wage,’ he said.
‘Without a wage hike now, our workers face not only deprivation but desperation. If the President does not certify the proposal as urgent and Congress does not include it in LEDAC (Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council) priority bills, the patience of the Filipino people may run out, as billions are stolen by a few while their due wages remain unpaid,’ he added.
Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co also criticized the Marcos administration for seemingly ignoring the plight of workers in key sectors.
‘They want higher pay for MUP, but not for workers? Workers should be the priority,’ Co said. ‘Aren’t teachers, healthcare professionals, laborers, and farmers, who struggle to support the nation, also deserving of attention?’
‘If Marcos Jr. wants true development and security for the country, he should first raise the wages of other professionals because they deserve it,’ she added.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Marcos granted a 15 percent increase over three years to boost the morale of troops and officers, and in response to prevailing economic conditions in the country.
Marcos’ order comes seven years after the last hike in basic pay for MUP during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s term.
‘In recognition of your unwavering service, dedication, and excellence, we will be increasing the base pay of the MUP,’ he said in a video statement.
Those who will benefit from Marcos’ latest executive order are the more than 470,000 active personnel from the following agencies:
Armed Forces of the Philippines
Philippine National Police
Bureau of Fire Protection
Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
Bureau of Corrections
Philippine Coast Guard
National Mapping and Resource Information Authority
Under Executive Order No. 107, the hike in the base pay of MUP will be implemented in three tranches starting next year – on Jan. 1, 2026, and on the same date in 2027 and 2028.
Several bills seeking a wage increase have been filed in the House. Last July, Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co and the Makabayan bloc submitted a proposal pushing for a P1,200 daily minimum wage, citing it as a living wage that would allow families to live decently.
Under House Bill (HB) No. 2599, or the proposed National Minimum Wage Act of 2025, additional provisions in Presidential Decree (PD) No. 442, or the Labor Code, will be revised to make it more responsive to people’s needs.
Mendoza also filed HB No. 88, pushing for a P200 increase in the daily salaries of minimum wage earners, similar to HB No. 766 filed by Akbayan party-list lawmakers.
In the 19th Congress, lawmakers came close to passing a final version of a wage hike bill. The House approved HB No. 11376, or the proposed Wage Hike for Minimum Wage Workers Act, on third reading in June 2025, while the Senate approved Senate Bill (SB) No. 2534 in February 2024.
Due to differences between the bills – the House seeking a P200 hike and the Senate a P100 increase – a bicameral conference committee should have been convened to produce a final version.
This final version, contained in a bicameral conference committee report, must be ratified separately by the House and Senate in plenary sessions before being forwarded to the President for consideration.
However, in the last week of the 19th Congress’ session, reports said the House and Senate were in a deadlock, as former House Committee on Labor and Employment Chairperson Juan Fidel Nograles preferred a bicameral discussion to ensure transparency.
Ultimately, the 19th Congress adjourned without the House and Senate ratifying a final version of the wage hike bill.