Photo credit: Sandro Marcos

Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos is calling on his fellow lawmakers to live by a rule most Filipinos already know well—no work, no pay.

Marcos filed House Bill No. 7432, a measure that would link the salaries and benefits of senators and members of the House of Representatives directly to their attendance and participation in official work. In short, lawmakers would only get paid on days they actually show up and do their jobs.

Under the proposed law, compensation would be given only for days when members of Congress are present in plenary sessions or actively take part in committee hearings where they are officially listed as members. This applies to all forms of pay, including salaries, allowances, per diems, honoraria, and other benefits funded by the government.

The bill makes it clear that the goal is accountability. As elected officials, Marcos said lawmakers should be held to high standards of diligence, responsibility, and integrity. Tying pay to attendance, the measure argues, is a practical way to ensure public service is taken seriously.

House Bill No. 7432 would cover both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It also defines what counts as official attendance, including physical presence or authorized remote participation, as long as it is properly recorded.

For Marcos, the idea is simple and familiar to ordinary workers: public office is a job, and pay should reflect actual work done. If passed, the proposal could change how lawmakers are held accountable—and send a strong signal that showing up matters in Congress.