Two senators on Monday called for the restoration of the suspended P85 daily minimum wage increase for workers in Metro Manila, with one urging the government to challenge the court order that halted its implementation and another seeking changes to the Labor Code to prevent similar cases.
Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to contest the temporary suspension issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court against Wage Order NCR-27.
The wage order granted a P85 daily increase for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila, to be implemented in two tranches: a P60 increase effective July 25 and an additional P25 beginning Jan. 1, 2027.
The implementation was suspended after two construction companies sought judicial relief against the wage order.
“Ang dapat gawin ng DOLE at OSG: Labanan ang kaso, para agad na ma-dismiss ito, o ma-lift ang suspension ng wage hike,” Hontiveros said.
She also urged employers to respect the country’s tripartite wage-setting system, where workers, employers, and government representatives participate in determining wage policies.
“Irespeto natin ang batas at ang tripartite system kung saan may boses ang manggagawa, employer at gobyerno,” she said.
Hontiveros said employers seeking relief from wage increases should use the administrative exemption process instead of bringing the issue directly to court.
She also linked wage concerns with rising household expenses, urging the Energy Regulatory Commission to review recoverable systems loss charges and generation costs to help lower electricity bills.
“Hindi puwedeng dagdag-sahod sa isang kamay, tapos kukunin din sa kuryente sa kabila,” she said.
Meanwhile, Senate labor committee vice chairperson Sen. Raffy Tulfo questioned the validity of the temporary restraining order, citing Article 126 of the Labor Code, which prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or restraining orders against actions or proceedings of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards.
“Kakarampot na nga lang ang wage increase sa kabila ng patuloy na pagtaas ng mga bilihin ay ipinagkait pa ito sa ating mga kawawang manggagawa na nais lamang maitawid ang pang araw-araw nilang gastusin,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo said appeals against wage orders should be filed before the National Wages and Productivity Commission instead of through court proceedings.
He added that he plans to file a bill amending Article 126 of the Labor Code to remove what he described as possible ambiguity on judicial intervention in wage board decisions.
“Hindi na dapat nanghihimasok ang korte dito at mas maiging idaan sa tamang proseso ang apela nitong mga kumpanya na walang pagpapahalaga sa kontribusyon ng mga manggagawa sa kanilang negosyo,” Tulfo said.
The senators’ statements came as the suspension of the Metro Manila wage increase continued to draw criticism from labor advocates who argue that workers need immediate relief amid rising prices of basic goods and services.
Photo courtesy of Manila Bulletin
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