Metro Manila Wage Hike 2026: P60 Minimum Wage Increase Approved

 

Metro Manila Wage Board Approves P60 Minimum Wage Hike, Pending NWPC Review

MANILA, Philippines — Workers in Metro Manila could receive a P60 daily minimum wage increase later this month after the National Capital Region wage board approved a new wage order that seeks to implement the first tranche of a previously approved P85 adjustment.

The wage increase is contained in Wage Order No. NCR-28, which was approved by the NCR Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board on Monday night. The order has since been transmitted to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) for review and confirmation.

If affirmed and subsequently published as required, the new wage rates could take effect around September 26 or 27, 2026, according to Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region Director Roy Buenafe during a House hearing on the agency's proposed 2027 budget on September 8.

Minimum wage could rise to P755

Under the new wage order, the daily minimum wage for workers in the non-agricultural sector would increase from P695 to P755, representing a P60 adjustment.

Workers covered by the lower NCR wage rate, including those in agriculture, small retail and service establishments, and small manufacturing businesses, would see their minimum daily pay rise from P658 to P718.

Unlike the earlier wage order, the P60 increase under NCR-28 would be implemented in a single tranche.

The measure was approved through a 4-3 vote, with two labor representatives and one employer representative voting against it.

Earlier P85 increase remains tied up in court

The latest wage order comes amid an unresolved legal dispute involving Wage Order NCR-27, which granted Metro Manila workers a total minimum wage increase of P85.

NCR-27 provided for a P60 increase beginning July 25, 2026, followed by an additional P25 increase on January 20, 2027.

However, employers challenged the wage order in court, preventing its first tranche from being implemented.

According to NCR-28, the enforcement of NCR-27 was halted by successive judicial orders, including a Status Quo Ante Order issued on July 24, 2026, a Temporary Restraining Order, and a Writ of Preliminary Injunction.

Labor and wage authorities have continued to contest the legal restraints and maintain that NCR-27 remains valid.

The Supreme Court is also reviewing a separate petition filed by labor groups seeking to overturn the lower court actions that prevented the wage order from taking effect.

Lawmakers raise concerns over NCR-28

The decision to issue another wage order has drawn scrutiny from several lawmakers, who questioned the timing of NCR-28 while the earlier P85 increase remains under judicial review.

Representatives Sarah Elago of Gabriela, Elijah San Fernando of Kamanggagawa, and Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza of the Trade Union Congress Party-list raised concerns that the new measure could undermine the government's position in the ongoing dispute.

They argued that implementing a new P60 adjustment could be interpreted as accepting the injunction against NCR-27 and effectively abandoning the additional P25 increase scheduled for January.

Labor advocates have maintained that the courts should not have intervened in the wage-setting process, citing Article 126 of the Labor Code.

The provision restricts courts, tribunals and other bodies from issuing injunctions or temporary restraining orders against proceedings before the NWPC and regional wage boards.

Whether this statutory restriction invalidates the judicial orders that stopped NCR-27 remains a central issue in the pending legal proceedings.

For now, the implementation of NCR-28 remains subject to NWPC approval and the required publication, leaving Metro Manila workers waiting for confirmation of when the new P60 wage increase will officially take effect.