Two senators urge PH gov't to restore suspended P85 wage hike in NCR

Two senators on Monday urged the government to restore the suspended PHP85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila, with one pressing a legal challenge against the court order while another questioned its validity under the Labor Code and vowed to amend the law to prevent similar incidents.

In a statement, Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to challenge the order issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court that temporarily halted the implementation of Wage Order NCR-27.

The wage order granted a PHP85 daily increase for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila in two tranches – PHP60 beginning July 25 and another PHP25 effective Jan. 1, 2027 – but its implementation was suspended after two construction firms sought judicial relief.

"Ang dapat gawin ng DOLE at OSG: Labanan ang kaso, para agad na ma-dismiss ito, o ma-lift ang suspension ng wage hike (What the DOLE and the OSG should do is fight the case so it can immediately be dismissed or the suspension of the wage hike lifted)," Hontiveros said.

She also urged employers to respect the country's tripartite wage-setting mechanism and avail themselves of the administrative process for exemption instead of bypassing it through the courts.

"Irespeto natin ang batas at ang tripartite system kung saan may boses ang manggagawa, employer at gobyerno (Let us respect the law and the tripartite system where workers, employers and the government all have a voice)," she said.

Beyond higher wages, Hontiveros said the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) should use its authority under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) to lower recoverable systems loss charges and closely scrutinize generation charges to help reduce consumers' electricity bills.

"Hindi puwedeng dagdag-sahod sa isang kamay, tapos kukunin din sa kuryente sa kabila (We cannot give workers a wage increase on one hand only to take it away through higher electricity bills with the other)," she said.

Meanwhile, Senate labor committee vice chairperson Raffy Tulfo questioned the legality of the temporary restraining order, saying Article 126 of the Labor Code prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or restraining orders against proceedings, actions or processes of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards.

"Kakarampot na nga lang ang wage increase sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga bilihin ay ipinagkait pa ito sa ating mga kawawang manggagawa na nais lamang maitawid ang pang araw-araw nilang gastusin (The wage increase is already modest despite the continuing rise in prices, yet even this has been denied to our poor workers who are only trying to make ends meet)," Tulfo said in a separate statement.

Tulfo said any appeal against a wage order should have been brought before the National Wages and Productivity Commission instead of the courts.

He added that he would file a bill amending Article 126 of the Labor Code to remove any ambiguity over the prohibition against judicial interference in wage board actions.

"Hindi na dapat nanghihimasok ang korte dito at mas maiging idaan sa tamang proseso ang apela nitong mga kumpanya na walang pagpapahalaga sa kontribusyon ng mga manggagawa sa kanilang negosyo (The courts should no longer interfere in this matter, and these companies who fail to appreciate the contribution of workers to their businesses should instead pursue the proper appeal process)," he said.

-Wilnard Bacelonia/Philippine News Agency