The House Committee on Labor and Employment, led by Cavite 1st District Representative Jolo Revilla, has begun deliberations on proposals to abolish the regional wage system and implement a single national minimum wage.
Revilla argued that the current setup—where wage levels vary by province—has “failed to reflect fairness and has, in many cases, diminished the dignity of the Filipino worker.”
He added, “Walang manggagawang dapat maiwan. Ang sahod ay dapat nagbibigay ng ginhawa—hindi dagdag-pasanin.”
He noted that workers performing identical jobs face wage disparities simply because they reside outside Metro Manila.
Under the proposals, all Regional Wage Boards would be dissolved and their functions absorbed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). The transition would be gradual: 30% of the existing wage gap closed in the first year, 35% in the second, and the remaining 35% in the third.
Revilla also clarified that exemptions under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) Act will remain to safeguard microenterprises during the nationwide shift.
The committee has instructed its secretariat to consolidate five related measures into a single substitute bill establishing a national minimum wage.