Metro Manila wage board approves P60 pay hike order

MANILA – A new wage order granting a P60 increase for private workers in Metro Manila was recently approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Wednesday.

Wage Order No. 28 has been forwarded to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) for its confirmation.

"Wage Order No. 28 has currently been forwarded to the NWPC for further processing by the commission," NCR RTWPB and DOLE NCR Regional Director Roy Buenafe said in a statement. The order was approved on Sept. 7.

He added that if affirmed, the order could be published on Sept. 11 and take effect on Sept. 26 or 27.

On the other hand, DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino said the wage board acted to provide workers with additional income while the legal issue surrounding Wage Order No. 27 remains pending.

He said the PHP60 increase under Wage Order No. 28 is not a deduction from the PHP85 increase under Wage Order No. 27, as the latter has not yet been implemented.

Earlier, a Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) stopped the implementation of Wage Order No. 27, which granted the PHP85 hike in the salary of minimum wage earners in the region.

The new wage order was announced during the budget hearing of the department at the House of Representatives on Sept. 8.

Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo lauded DOLE’s proactive approach to wage policy, particularly the recent approval of the wage order.

He described the new wage order as a proactive move by the wage board while Wage Order No. 27 remains subject to a court injunction, noting the need to continue addressing workers’ wage concerns through the established tripartite wage-setting process.

“So, in view of that [injunction status] and in view of the seeming difficulties that our workers are going through, the Wage Board took the initiative and exercised its extraordinary powers, recognizing the difficulty that the workers are going through despite the quagmire of this injunction,” the lawmaker said.

The House Committee on Appropriations discussed the DOLE’s proposed P47.057-billion budget for 2027. (PNA)