Following the most recent Kamanggagawa Partylist summary, 200 of the 316 members in the House of Representatives of the Philippines declared a clear preference for the abolition of provincial rates in response to a dire need to push through House Bill 8081, otherwise known as the National Minimum Wage Bill.
The figure consists of 42 party-list representatives and 158 district representatives, including Congressman Atty. King Collantes of Batangas’ Third District who co-authored the referenced House Bill.
Collantes, who hails from a district recognized for tourism, agriculture, and industrial development, is committed to representing all sectors, which includes the laborers who are the driving force behind the appeal.
Within the early phases of his tenure, he pledged to work closely with national government departments such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which, in addition to delivering assistance to the majority, also has community-based initiatives, among them the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), which intends to help Filipino households in acquiring a means of living and making ends meet.
“Ang suporta kong ito ay nakasentro sa bawat isa kong kababayan sa Ikatlong Distrito ng Lalawigan ng Batangas na inaalay ang kanilang sarili sa kani-kanilang mga trabaho, maging sa mga Pilipinong naghahangad ng mas magandang bukas para sa kanilang pamilya,” Congressman Collantes said, stretching as he shared how they were working as a majority.
Three of the six districts in the Province of Batangas have been included in the statistics of congressmen lobbying for the shift, but the total number is sufficient for the bill’s passage, as it only requires 159.
In line with Kamanggagawa’s records, the SOCCSKSARGEN Region, Northern Mindanao, Panay Island, Samar Island, MIMAROPA, Bicol Region, Central Luzon, Southern and Southwestern Luzon, and Cordillera Administrative Region have all provided considerable support. They continue to push to strengthen the petition by garnering backing among BARMM, Caraga Region, Davao Region, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.
With an array of difficulties hitting laborers such as Endo and contractualization, Job Order (JO), and Contract of Service (COS); inflation; and the escalating conflict in the Middle East concerning every aspect, particularly but not limited to petroleum products, which heavily impact on transport groups, the demand for it continues to grow.
However, as the session adjourned until May 3, 2026, the party-list expressed dissatisfaction, saying, “Wala sa agenda ang kahit anong bill tungkol sa sahod ng mga manggagawa ngayong last day ng session ng Kongreso. Hindi priority ang mga manggagawa sa krisis!”
With these calls in the halls of the Lower House, Congressman Collantes’ declaration during his 2025 bid, “Ang tunay na titulo ng isang Congressman ay hindi Congressman, kundi Representative,” is a fitting representation of the weight of duty, the trust bestowed by the people, and the eagerness to carry on from one bill to the next.