Dole approves P85 wage hike increase in NCR

National

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has approved an P85 daily minimum wage increase for private sector workers in the National Capital Region (NCR), marking the largest single wage adjustment granted by the regional wage board in recent years.

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‎Under Wage Order No. NCR-27, the increase will be implemented in two phases: a P60 increase will take effect on July 19, while the remaining P25 will be implemented on Jan. 20 next year. The wage adjustment follows several petitions seeking higher pay for Metro Manila workers and is expected to benefit more than 1.1 million minimum wage earners.

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‎Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino described the wage adjustment as a significant milestone for workers, saying, “It is the highest daily [increase] in the private sector.”

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‎However, business groups warned that the wage hike could place additional financial pressure on employers, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In a report by Inquirer.net, Management Association of the Philippines President Donald Lim said businesses would comply with the order but noted, “Many MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) will face additional cost pressures that could affect hiring, expansion, and pricing decisions.”

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‎Labor organizations, meanwhile, argued that the increase remains inadequate amid rising living costs.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), which had pushed for a larger legislated wage hike, criticized the government's description of the adjustment.

"What is truly ‘historic’ about this wage hike is not its magnitude but the shamelessness to call it historic. Not even a hundred pesos was added to the salary of workers after they lost hundreds of pesos worth of their income because of inflation," TUCP said.( Zoe Casas PIT Comm Intern)