Pasay City: The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday clarified its position on the proposed wage hike law, stating that it is not opposing the legislation’s passage.

According to Philippines News Agency, Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma emphasized that DOLE’s role is to provide technical inputs, while the ultimate decision lies with lawmakers. “It is part of the Department of Labor and Employment, in particular the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), to provide technical inputs,” Laguesma explained during an interview at the Jobstreet Career Con 2025. He further clarified, “We are not against it (wage law). We only give scenarios about that.”

The discussion on the wage hike gained momentum after House Speaker Martin Romualdez announced the House of Representatives’ intention to advance a bill proposing a PHP200 daily minimum wage increase. This announcement followed a meeting between lawmakers and representatives from various labor groups.

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition expressed approval of Speaker Romualdez’s commitment, highlighting the delay in the wage hike bill, which has been stalled in the Labor committee since March of the previous year. Lawyer Sonny Matula, chairperson of the coalition, asserted that any legislated wage increase should be implemented nationwide.