WORKERS in the National Capital Region (NCR) who have already received the P60 first tranche of the approved P85 daily minimum wage increase will not be required to return the additional pay despite the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by a Pasig court, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Friday.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the first tranche, which took effect on July 25, had already vested in favor of the workers before the court issued the TRO on Thursday.
He stressed that employers cannot require their employees to refund the additional amount or recover it through payroll deductions.
This comes after the Pasig Regional Trial Court temporarily suspended the implementation of NCR Wage Order No. NCR-27, which provides for a P85 daily minimum wage increase to be released in two tranches: P60 effective July 25, 2026, and the remaining P25 on Jan. 20, 2027.
Tolentino said DOLE would defend the validity of the wage order before the courts.
He added that the department, through the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–NCR, is coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General for the legal proceedings.
DOLE-NCR Regional Director and Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–NCR Chairman Sarah Buena Mirasol said that the wage board was confident it complied with the requirements of Republic Act 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, before approving the increase.
The TRO drew flak from labor groups.
In separate statements, Laban Manggagawa and Partido Manggagawa opposed the court’s order stopping the implementation of NCR Wage Order No. NCR-27 and urged that the wage increase be sustained.
Laban Manggagawa said it was not surprised by the issuance of the TRO, arguing that wage increases have often been challenged through legal action.
The group questioned the timing of the court’s order, saying it favors business owners opposed to the wage increase.
Partido Manggagawa argued that the TRO has no legal or practical basis, saying delaying the wage increase would further burden workers grappling with inflation.
