Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 13) — A lawmaker called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday to certify as urgent a wage hike bill in response to what has been called as ‘The Great Resignation’ phenomenon.
House Bill 4898 proposes a ₱750 across-the-board wage hike for private sector workers and a ₱1,100 national minimum wage, effectively scrapping the regional wage setting system.
The trend known as \”The Great Resignation\” or the \”The Big Quit\” began at the height of the pandemic in 2020, where employees left jobs due to low pay worsened by soaring prices, job and benefits dissatisfaction, and mental health prioritization.
\”Raising the workers’ salary is a crucial step towards addressing the ‘Great Resignation’ phenomenon in the Philippines. Certifying these bills as urgent will bring direct and concrete relief to millions of Filipino workers across the country, ensuring that their wages are sufficient to meet their basic needs and improve their quality of life,\” said Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas.
A PageGroup study cited by Brosas revealed that 83% of respondents said they planned to resign in 2022 to prioritize personal health and the desire for change in working environment.
House Bill 4898 has been pending in the committee on labor and employment since September 2022.
Brosas said companies have been denying higher wages reasoning out the work-from-home setup.
In a separate statement in May, eight business groups opposed the proposed ₱150 wage hike in a counterpart Senate Bill 2002 filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. They said it would hurt small businesses and workers in the informal sector.
“Raising wages may appear to be the easier and logical solution,” the Employers Confederation of the Philippines said in a joint statement. “However, only a small percentage of the total workforce, 26% or about 8 million in the formal sector out of the 50 million in the total number of Filipino workers, will be able to benefit from this proposal.”
In June this year, the wage board approved a ₱40 daily minimum wage hike in Metro Manila, which is 7% higher than the previous minimum pays, for workers in the private sector.
