MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners in Metro Manila are set to receive a P60 daily pay increase beginning September 26, 2026, under a new wage order issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-National Capital Region.
The increase will raise the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural workers in Metro Manila from P695 to P755, while workers in agriculture, small retail and service establishments, and certain small manufacturing firms will see their minimum wage rise from P658 to P718.
The Department of Labor and Employment confirmed that the new increase is contained in Wage Order No. NCR-28, which grants a P60 adjustment to minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region.
But while the announcement brings welcome relief to workers struggling with rising prices and living costs, the new wage order has also triggered a fresh controversy.
The biggest question now is: What happens to the remaining P25 from the earlier P85 wage increase?
P60 Wage Hike to Take Effect September 26
DOLE said the P60 daily wage increase will take effect on September 26, 2026, following the issuance and publication of the new NCR wage order.
For non-agricultural workers, the new minimum wage will be:
P695 per day → P755 per day
For agricultural workers and employees of covered small establishments, the minimum wage will rise:
P658 per day → P718 per day
The new wage order comes after Metro Manila’s wage board approved the P60 increase amid the continuing legal battle surrounding an earlier P85 wage increase.
The government said the adjustment is intended to provide workers with an immediate increase while wage issues in the NCR continue to face legal challenges.
What Happened to the Earlier P85 Wage Increase?
The controversy began with Wage Order No. NCR-27, which granted Metro Manila workers a total P85 daily minimum wage increase.
Under the original plan, the increase was supposed to be released in two tranches:
P60 beginning July 25, 2026
P25 beginning January 20, 2027
If fully implemented, the P85 increase would have pushed the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural workers beyond the current P755 rate.
However, the implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27 was blocked after employers challenged the measure in court.
The legal dispute resulted in a series of judicial actions, including a status quo order, a temporary restraining order, and eventually a writ of preliminary injunction that prevented the earlier wage order from being implemented.
That left more than a million NCR minimum wage earners waiting for the promised increase.
Why Did the Wage Board Issue a New P60 Order?
According to reports from DOLE officials, the NCR wage board approved Wage Order No. NCR-28 as a way to provide workers with the P60 portion of the earlier wage increase.
The new order was approved by the wage board in a closely divided 4-3 vote.
DOLE-NCR officials previously explained that the P60 increase was intended to address workers’ immediate needs while the legal battle over the earlier P85 wage order continues.
But the move immediately raised questions from lawmakers and labor groups.
Critics asked whether issuing a new P60 wage order could weaken the government’s fight to restore the full P85 increase.
Others questioned whether workers could eventually lose the additional P25 that was supposed to take effect in January 2027.
Labor Groups Say P60 Is Not the End of the Fight
Several labor organizations have opposed the new wage order, arguing that workers should not be forced to settle for a lower increase while the original P85 wage hike remains under legal challenge.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and other labor groups have raised concerns over the process that led to the new wage order.
Workers and labor advocates have also questioned whether the government should continue fighting for the full P85 increase instead of issuing a separate P60 order.
Some lawmakers have echoed those concerns, warning that the new wage order could create additional legal complications.
The dispute has turned what was supposed to be a straightforward wage increase into a much larger battle over workers’ rights, government policy and the country’s wage-setting system.
More Than Just P60: The Bigger Fight Over Living Wages
The NCR wage controversy comes as Filipino workers continue to face pressure from the rising cost of food, transportation, electricity and other basic necessities.
DOLE has said wage adjustments are meant to help workers improve their purchasing power and cope with changing economic conditions.
But labor groups argue that regional wage increases are still not enough to address the growing gap between minimum wages and the actual cost of living.
The dispute has also renewed calls for Congress to pass a legislated nationwide wage increase that would provide workers with stronger protection against legal challenges to regional wage orders.
Supporters of a legislated increase argue that workers should not have to wait for lengthy wage board reviews and court cases before receiving much-needed pay adjustments.
Business groups, meanwhile, have traditionally warned that large wage increases could affect smaller companies, employment and operating costs.
That leaves the government facing a difficult balancing act: How can it give workers meaningful wage relief without creating new economic pressures on employers?
What NCR Workers Need to Know
Starting September 26, 2026, minimum wage earners covered by the new NCR wage order are expected to receive a P60 daily increase.
For non-agricultural workers, the minimum wage will rise to P755 per day.
For agricultural workers and covered employees of small establishments, the minimum wage will increase to P718 per day.
However, the larger legal battle is far from over.
The earlier P85 wage order remains at the center of continuing disputes, meaning the question over the additional P25 increase remains unresolved.
For millions of workers in Metro Manila, the P60 increase is immediate relief.
But for labor groups fighting for the full P85 increase, the bigger battle may only be beginning.
As the new wage order takes effect, all eyes will now be on the government, the courts and labor groups to determine whether Metro Manila workers will eventually receive the remaining P25—or whether the P60 increase will become the final outcome of one of the Philippines’ most controversial wage battles of 2026.
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