September 6, 2022
12:43 pm
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Republic of the Philippines 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
Quezon City 
NINETEENTH CONGRESS 
First Regular Session 
HOUSE BILL NO. _____________ 
Introduced by REP. JOSE MA. R. ZUBIRI, JR. 
AN ACT 
INCREASING THE DAILY MINIMUM WAGE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR 
WORKERS THEREBY AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE PRESIDENTIAL 
DECREE NO. 442, AS AMENDED, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE LABOR 
CODE OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
Section 1. Short Title. – This Act shall be known as the “Minimum Wage Act”. 
Section 2. Declaration of Policy – The State shall promote a just and dynamic social 
order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the 
people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, 
promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life 
for all. 
It is hereby declared the policy of the State to rationalize the fixing of minimum 
wages to ensure a humane and decent living existence for workers in tune with the 
times and to promote productivity-improvement and gain-sharing measures for the 
workers and their families; to enhance employment generation in the countryside 
through industry dispersal; and to allow business and industry reasonable returns 
on investment, expansion and growth. 
Section 3. Definition of Terms. – 
a) “Wage” means all remuneration or earnings paid by an employer to a
worker for services rendered on normal working days and hours but does
not include cost-of-living allowances, profit sharing payments, premium
payments, 13th month pay or other monetary benefits which are not
considered as part of or integrated into the regular salary of the workers on
the date the Act became effective;
b) “Minimum Wage” means the lowest amount of wage permitted by law. It
shall be computed on a per day basis;
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Section 4. Minimum Wage. – The minimum wage for all workers in the private 
sector, whether agricultural or non-agricultural, is hereby fixed at Seven Hundred 
Fifty Pesos (P750.00) for the National Capital Region and Five Hundred Fifty Pesos 
(P550.00) for all other regions consistent with the principle of equal pay for work 
of equal value. Provided, that succeeding increases shall be determined by the 
Secretary of Labor and Employment, in compliance with the provisions of this Act. 
 
Section 5. Coverage. – This applies to all workers from the private sector, whether 
working as a regular, contractual, or casual employee, inclusive of both Non-
agricultural and Agricultural employment. 
 
Section 6. Repeal of Article 99 of Presidential Decree No. 442. – Article 99 of 
Presidential Decree No. 442 which states that: “Art. 99. Regional Minimum Wages. 
– The minimum wage rates for agricultural and non-agricultural employees and 
workers in each and every region of the country shall be those prescribed by the 
Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards,” is hereby repealed upon the 
promulgation of this Act. 
 
Section 7. Exception: Excluded from the provisions of this Act are domestic helpers 
and persons employed in the personal service of another including family drivers. 
 
The DOLE may, upon application by an employer in the retail business regularly 
employing not more than ten workers, grant him exemption from compliance with 
the provisions of this Act. 
 
Section 8. Implementing Agency. The DOLE through its Secretary shall have the 
power to increase the minimum wage for private sector workers motu proprio when 
conditions so warrant, or upon petition of any labor unit. 
 
Where the application of any prescribed wage increase by virtue of law or Wage 
order issued by the Secretary results in distortions of the wage structure within an 
establishment, the employer and the union shall negotiate to correct the 
distortions. Any dispute arising from wage distortions shall be resolved through the 
grievance procedure under their collective bargaining agreement and, if it remains 
unresolved, through voluntary arbitration. Unless otherwise agreed by the parties 
in writing, such dispute shall be decided by the voluntary arbitrator or panel of 
voluntary arbitrators within ten (10) calendar days from the time said dispute was 
referred to voluntary arbitration. 
 
In cases where there are no collective agreements or recognized labor unions, the 
employers and workers shall endeavor to correct such distortions. Any dispute 
arising therefrom shall be settled through the National Conciliation and Mediation 
Board and, if it remains unresolved after ten (10) calendar days of conciliation, shall 
be referred to the appropriate branch of the National Labor Relations Commission 
(NLRC). It shall be mandatory for the NLRC to conduct continuous hearings and 
decide the dispute within twenty (20) calendar days from the time said dispute is 
submitted for compulsory arbitration. 
 
 
 
 


The pendency of a dispute arising from a wage distortion shall not in any way delay 
the applicability of any increase in prescribed wage rates pursuant to the provisions 
of law or Wage Order. 
 
As used herein, a wage distortion shall mean a situation where an increase in 
prescribed wage rates results in the elimination or severe contraction of intentional 
quantitative differences in wage or salary rates between and among employee 
groups in an establishment as to effectively obliterate the distinctions embodied in 
such wage structure based on skills, length of service, or other logical bases of 
differentiation. 
 
All workers paid by result, including those who are paid on piecework, takay, 
pakyaw or task basis, shall receive not less than the prescribed wage rates per 
eight (8) hours work a day, or a proportion thereof for working less than eight (8) 
hours. 
 
All recognized learnership and apprenticeship agreements shall be considered 
automatically modified insofar as their wage clauses are concerned to reflect the 
prescribed wage rates. 
 
The Department shall conduct research and evaluation as well as public hearings 
and consultations and shall ask supporting documents relative to the appealed 
increase. The Department shall also have the following powers and functions 
relative to the establishment and implementation of a humane and sufficient 
minimum wage in the private sectors: 
 
(a) To develop plans, programs and projects relative to wages, incomes and 
productivity improvement on a national level; 
(b) To determine and fix minimum wage rates applicable in all industries in the 
country and to issue the corresponding wage orders together with their 
guidelines; 
(c) To conduct researches and surveys necessary for the attainment of their 
functions, objectives and programs, and to collect and compile data on 
wages, incomes, productivity and other related information and periodically 
disseminate the same; 
(d) To receive, process and act on applications for exemption from prescribed 
wage rates as may be provided by law or any Wage Order; and 
(e) To exercise such other powers and functions as may be necessary to carry 
out their mandate under this Code. 
 
Section 9. Implementing Rules and Regulations. – Within ninety days from the 
effectivity of this Act, the DOLE, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), 
Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Interior and Local Government 
(DILG), and other affected agencies, shall issue the implementing rules and 
regulations for the immediate implementation of this Act. 
 
Section 10. Prohibited Acts. – It shall be unlawful for any person, corporation, trust, 
firm, partnership, association or entity, directly or indirectly, to refuse to comply 
with the provisions of this Act or to refuse or to fail to pay any of the prescribed 
increases or adjustments in the wage rate as mandated by this Act. 
 
 


Section 11. Penalties. – Any person, corporation, firm, trust, partnership, 
association or entity which refuses or fails to pay any of the prescribed increases 
or adjustments in the wage rates made in accordance with this Act shall be 
punished by a fine not exceeding One Hundred Thousand Pesos (P100,000.00) 
and/or imprisonment of not less than two nor more than three years. 
 
If the violation is committed by a corporation, trust, firm, partnership, association 
or any other entity, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on the entity’s 
responsible officers, including but not limited to, the president, vice-president, chief 
executive officer, general manager, managing director or partner. 
 
Section 12. Appropriations. – The amount necessary to carry out the 
implementation of this Act shall be taken from any available funds in the National 
Treasury for the current fiscal year, thereafter, such sums as may be needed for 
its full implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act. 
 
Section 13. Separability Clause. – If any provision of this Act shall be held 
unconstitutional or invalid, the other provisions not otherwise affected shall remain 
in full force and effect. 
 
Section 14. Repealing Clause. – All laws, executive orders, administrative orders, 
proclamations, rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with or contrary 
to this Act are hereby deemed accordingly repealed or amended. 
 
Section 15. Effectivity Clause. – This Act shall take effect after fifteen (15) days 
from publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation. 
 
Approved,