MANILA – Labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) on Wednesday expressed full support for House Bill 2599 or the National Minimum Wage Bill, filed earlier in the day by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co of the Makabayan bloc.

In a statement, KMU Chairperson Jerome Adonis said the current wage-setting system under the Regional Wage Boards (RWBs), created through the Wage Rationalization Act, has led to fragmented and depressed wages across regions.

“Nagsilbi ang Regional Wage Boards sa pagpapadausdos ng sahod at pagsira ng pagkakaisa ng manggagawang Pilipino,” Adonis said, adding that wage hikes have been slow and meager under the current setup.

Citing the wide gap between regional minimum wages and the estimated living wage, KMU said the average minimum wage in the country stands at ₱417—around a third of the estimated ₱1,200 needed daily by a family of five. Across the regions, the average shortfall between the minimum and living wage is pegged at ₱783.

KMU also noted that Metro Manila’s current minimum wage of ₱695 remains insufficient and significantly higher than wages in other regions. In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), for instance, the minimum wage is ₱361—far below the region’s estimated living wage of ₱2,039.

The group also criticized the varying wage structures in regions like CALABARZON, where wage rates differ depending on municipality and job sector, and the staggered implementation of wage hikes, such as in SOCCSKSARGEN where increases are split into tranches as low as ₱10.

“The filing of House Bill 2599 is a step toward ending this rotten system,” Adonis said, adding that it must go hand in hand with the passage of House Bill 202 or the Living Wage Act to ensure equal and livable wages nationwide.

“Pero, hindi uusad ang mga batas na ito nang hindi natin ipinaglalaban,” he said. “Dapat itong salubungin ng nagkakaisang tinig at pagkilos ng mga manggagawa sa buong bansa… ₱1200 nationwide!”

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