Manila, June 5 -- Senators on Thursday expressed caution over the House of Representatives' approval of a PHP200 daily minimum wage hike, flagging potential risks to small businesses and a possible veto from Malacanang.

Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito warned that while wage hikes may be politically appealing, they could backfire on struggling businesses if not carefully balanced.

"We have to make sure also na yung business will be able to survive na hindi naman mamatay yung negosyo. Baka kasi masyadong mabigat sa iba 'yan especially for the small and medium scale businesses (We have to make sure also that the business will be able to survive and not end up shutting down. It might be too burdensome for some especially for the small and me...