ABOUT 1.1 million minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region (NCR) will receive a P60 daily wage increase, as Wage Order NCR-28 took effect Saturday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said.
“This is where we have shown the value of a tripartite mechanism where the government, employers’ groups, and employees’ groups unite to promote and elevate the dignity of the Filipino worker and to demonstrate that through this unity, we can advance a sustainable economy here in NCR,” Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said at the DOLE Central Office in Intramuros, Manila.
Under the wage order, the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural workers in the NCR rises from P695 to P755.
For workers in agriculture, small retail and service establishments employing 15 workers or less, and small manufacturing establishments regularly employing fewer than 10 workers, the minimum wage increases from P658 to P718 per day.
Tolentino called on employers to comply with the new minimum wage rates and ensure their payroll and compensation systems reflect the increases.
DOLE will continue monitoring compliance with the wage order and provide guidance to workers and employers on its implementation.
The wage order followed the tripartite wage-setting process of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR (RTWPB-NCR) and was confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
The new wage order was issued to ensure minimum wage earners in Metro Manila receive immediate financial relief, while Wage Order NCR-27, which granted an P85 increase, remains tied up in legal injunctions.
Originally approved to increase daily minimum wages by P85 in two tranches: an initial P60 scheduled for July 2026 followed by P25 set for January 2027, Wage Order NCR-27 was blocked after a Pasig City Regional Trial Court issued a status quo ante order and subsequent injunction following court petitions filed by two private companies, Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders, Inc.
DOLE and labor unions continue to challenge the court orders.
To circumvent the frozen rollout and provide workers with assistance despite the ongoing court case, the board cleared and issued Wage Order NCR-28.
The P60 increase under Wage Order NCR-28 effectively matches the first tranche of the stalled P85 wage order.
