Manifestation on the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers and the Minimum Wage Increase Act

Mr. President, I would just like to second the manifestation of Senator JV Ejercito.

Mr. President, I am disheartened, I am saddened by the idea that the House of Representatives withdrew their support of such an important measure for our BHWs, Barangay Health Workers. At least, we put it on record that the Senate stood up to the challenge in helping our BHWs. We did our best, Mr. President. You did your best. We did our best. And t's just unfortunate that they had to withdraw the adoption of the measure, which will put the nail on the coffin of this measure for the 19th Congress.

So we'd just like to put that on record, including, not to mention, our minimum wage bill, Mr. President, that you and I have been fighting for from the very beginning. They continuously insist on the P200 minimum wage [increase]. We all know that the businessmen, the small and medium enterprises, cannot afford such a large sum. And they insist on that amount when we are [at a] P100 a day per minimum wage earner increase.

So that puts us in a bind. And now it has not moved forward. It is the last day today before we adjourn sine die. We'd like to inform all the workers, laborers, minimum wage earners, that the Senate did its best to fight for the rights and, of course, the fiscal incentive of having another P100 a day minimum wage increase in their salary. Naaawa po ako sa kanila.

Again, I'm also disheartened with the fact that they don't want to negotiate with us. Obviously, if we adopt the P200 peso minimum wage bill, the President will veto it. Definitely, that will be vetoed. And if that will be vetoed, we torpedo the measure and it looks bad on everyone.

So, Mr. President, I just want to put that on record, that the Senate has stood up and fought for these sectors. Unfortunately, our friends in the House have not been very accommodating on this issue. So, I just want to vent out my sadness on these particular two topics. And I thank the Senate President and our colleagues for fighting side by side with us and pushing for these social justice measures.

Maraming salamat po, Mr. President.