Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is backing a measure that seeks to establish clearer wage protections for piece-rate or “pakyawan” workers, many of whom reportedly earn below the legal minimum despite completing full workdays.

Cayetano is among the senators who signed Senate Bill No. 82, or the “Anti-Abuse of Pakyawan Workers Act” authored by Senator Raffy Tulfo, which aims to strengthen fairness and dignity in the labor sector by tightening rules on how output-based wages are computed and enforced.

“As part of honoring God and building communities through good governance, the State must promote human dignity in the labor sector and create a system where all persons are given the chance to thrive and rise,” he said.

“The hope of building a just and humane society will begin once we look beyond simply providing a minimum wage and start aiming for a living wage for all Filipinos,” Cayetano added.

The bill seeks to address gaps that have allowed some workers to receive compensation below the statutory minimum wage despite rendering a full day’s work, by requiring employers to ensure that “pakyawan workers” are paid no less than the prevailing minimum wage prescribed under Republic Act No. 6727.

The measure also mandates a Time and Motion Study (TMS) before any piece-rate system can be implemented or modified.

Employers, workers, or unions must apply with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, with the TMS results serving as the basis for official Piece-Rate Orders that standardize output-based pay.

The proposal strengthens enforcement by requiring random inspections at least twice a year and mandating the presence of worker representatives during inspections, addressing concerns over gaps in monitoring actual workplace conditions.

It also introduces graduated administrative penalties for violations such as underpayment, nonpayment of statutory benefits, and non-compliance with approved wage orders, balancing stricter enforcement with due process considerations raised by labor agencies.

Cayetano linked the measure to his broader push for labor reforms, including his proposal to create a labor commission that would streamline the resolution of worker concerns.

“It’s not enough that we raise people’s pay by a small fraction. If we want real change, give people a more reasonable standard of living. Kailangan ngayon ng matapang na solusyon at mabilis na aksyon para sa bawat manggagawang Pilipino,” he said.###