CITING mounting economic pressure on working-class families, the Senate has unanimously united to demand the immediate lifting of a court order that temporarily blocked a scheduled P85 daily wage increase for Metro Manila workers.
Senate President Win Gatchalian and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri led the bipartisan effort, highlighting July’s elevated 6.2% inflation rate.
Driven primarily by surging fuel and electricity costs, current inflation significantly exceeds the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ target range of 2% to 4%. Leaders emphasized that judicial delays further deteriorate workers’ purchasing power amid rising living expenses.
The chamber adopted Senate Resolution No. 59, expressing full legislative support for immediate implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27. Branch 152 of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on July 30 following a petition by private contractors, halting the pay hike until mid-August.
“The Senate’s position is completely unified—this wage increase must be implemented immediately, especially amidst rising inflation,” Gatchalian said, urging judicial restraint regarding regional wage determination.
Under Wage Order No. NCR-27, approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region, an initial P60 increase was scheduled for July 25, 2026, followed by a final P25 installment on January 20, 2027.
Once fully implemented, minimum daily wages will reach P780 for non-agricultural sectors and P743 for other covered industries.
Zubiri noted that all senators across both majority and minority blocs signed the resolution. He cited Article 126 of the Labor Code, which explicitly prohibits courts from issuing injunctions against wage boards.
“Allow the Labor Code to prevail and let the P85 increase reach the workers who have waited long enough,” Zubiri stated. “A petition by a few cannot hold over 1.1 million workers and their families in limbo.”
Warning that allowing this TRO to stand sets a dangerous precedent for future regional wage adjustments nationwide; lawmakers reaffirmed their commitment to supporting legal remedies by the Department of Labor and Employment to protect statutory wage-setting processes.
