By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Malacañang on Monday threw its full support behind efforts to overturn a court order that suspended the implementation of the P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila, stressing that the wage adjustment is intended to provide much-needed relief to more than one million minimum wage earners struggling with the rising cost of living.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the government respects the judiciary but also has the responsibility to uphold policies that promote the welfare of Filipino workers.
“We respect all courts, but the government also has the right to stand for what it believes is just and beneficial for our workers,” Castro said during a Palace briefing.
She maintained that employers questioning the wage order should have pursued the administrative remedies provided under existing labor laws instead of immediately seeking judicial intervention.
On July 30, the Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 152 issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that halted the July 25 implementation of National Capital Region Wage Order No. 27. The order stemmed from a petition filed by construction firms Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc.
The wage order approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board grants an P85 daily wage increase, raising Metro Manila’s minimum wage from P695 to P780. The adjustment was scheduled to be implemented in two phases—an initial P60 increase beginning July 25, followed by another P25 on Jan. 20 next year.
Castro said the Office of the Solicitor General is prepared to defend the validity of the wage order, emphasizing that it was crafted to protect the interests of low-income workers in the capital region.
While supporting the immediate implementation of the wage increase, the Palace said Congress remains responsible for deciding whether to enact a legislated nationwide wage hike for private sector workers.
She added that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has consistently advocated for fair and reasonable compensation for Filipino workers, noting that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards will continue addressing wage concerns unless Congress passes a national wage increase measure.
The court’s restraining order also drew criticism from lawmakers, who questioned its legal basis under the Labor Code.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, said the issuance of a TRO appears inconsistent with Article 126 of the Labor Code, which expressly prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or restraining orders against proceedings involving the National Wages and Productivity Commission and the Regional Wage Boards.
Villanueva said the suspension of the wage increase has caused disappointment among workers who have long awaited salary adjustments amid persistent inflation.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo echoed the concern, saying the delayed implementation further burdens workers already struggling with the escalating prices of basic commodities.
He urged the judiciary to allow the wage order to take effect and advised employers seeking relief to comply with the proper administrative procedures rather than resorting to litigation.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros likewise called on the Department of Labor and Employment and the Office of the Solicitor General to exhaust all available legal remedies to secure the lifting of the TRO.
She also reminded employers that the country’s tripartite wage-setting system provides legitimate mechanisms for businesses seeking exemptions from wage orders, warning that bypassing these procedures could undermine industrial stability and labor-management relations.
Meanwhile, eleven labor federations, workers’ organizations and political groups have formally sought to intervene in the Pasig RTC proceedings.
The groups asked the court to immediately lift the temporary restraining order and dismiss the petition for lack of jurisdiction, arguing that the construction firms failed to exhaust the administrative remedies available under the country’s wage-setting framework.
The legal battle over the NCR wage order is expected to shape not only the immediate fate of Metro Manila’s wage increase but also future challenges involving the authority of wage boards and the protection of workers’ rights under Philippine labor laws.
ia/xf
