THE Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 152 has extended the suspension of Metro Manila’s mandated ₱85 daily minimum wage increase, granting a writ of preliminary injunction to two construction firms.
In a 14-page order issued Thursday, Presiding Judge Marie Joyce Manongsong halted the implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27 while the court resolves a petition for declaratory relief filed by Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc.
The ruling effectively extends a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) that was originally issued on July 30 and set to expire on August 13.
The injunction, directed against the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-NCR and the National Wages and Productivity Commission, requires the petitioner companies to post a ₱10 billion bond.
Under Wage Order No. NCR-27, the wage hike was structured in two tranches: an initial ₱60 increase scheduled for July 25, followed by a ₱25 increment set for January 20.
Addressing concerns over the freeze, the court acknowledged the burden placed on millions of minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region.
However, Judge Manongsong emphasized the need to balance labor interests against the constitutional rights of businesses to reasonable returns, expansion, and growth.
The court highlighted a novel legal issue surrounding Article 124 of the Labor Code, which requires regional wage boards to evaluate employers’ capacity to pay and fair return on capital when setting minimum wages.
The petitioners alleged that public consultations conducted by the board relied on insufficient sectoral representation, rendering the wage determination arbitrary.
Furthermore, the RTC rejected arguments that it lacked jurisdiction, ruling that a standard 60-day appeal process through the wage commission would not timely resolve the companies’ urgent concerns.
The court clarified that the injunction acts as a preservative relief aimed at sustaining both business viability and workers’ long-term livelihoods.
Meanwhile, labor group Akbayan cautioned that the ruling could set a dangerous precedent, opening the door for repeated legal challenges that could delay minimum wage adjustments for months or years.
The ₱85 wage increase remains suspended indefinitely pending further RTC proceedings.
