Palace says P85 NCR wage hike to proceed as scheduled

Malacañang on Tuesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not ordered the suspension of the ₱85 daily minimum wage increase for private sector workers in Metro Manila, stressing that its implementation will proceed as scheduled.

During a Palace press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked whether the President would suspend the wage order following calls from some business groups.

“Wala pong suspension. Wala pong paghihinto rito. Tuloy-tuloy po ito (There is no suspension. There will be no stoppage. It will continue),” she said.

Castro also said the Palace has not received any request from private sector groups seeking to suspend or reconsider the wage order.

“Wala pong naipaabot sa amin kung may nag-request mula sa private sector. Wala pong utos na ito ay suspend,” she said.

(Nothing has been relayed to us indicating that a request came from the private sector. There is no order to suspend it.)

Asked about the budgetary impact of the wage increase, Castro said she had spoken with acting Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, who would provide the relevant details.

“Nakausap natin kanina si Secretary… at ibibigay niya ang detalye. Kapag nakuha ko ang detalye, isi-share ko na po 'yan sa inyo,” Castro said.

(I spoke with the Secretary earlier, and he will provide the details. Once I receive them, I will share them with you.)

The clarification came after the Foundation for Economic Freedom urged the government to suspend the implementation of the wage order pending a review of its economic impact, warning that it could lead to higher prices and job losses.

The P85 daily wage increase will be implemented in two tranches, with the first P60 increase taking effect on July 25 and the remaining P25 taking effect in January 2027.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier said around 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are expected to benefit from the increase.

Once fully implemented, the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural workers will rise to P780 from P695, while that for agricultural workers will increase to P743 from P685.

Marcos earlier said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) are expected to begin issuing recommendations on wage adjustments in their respective regions starting in September.— MCG, GMA News