A court order blocking a wage increase in Metro Manila has renewed Sen. Joel Villanueva’s call for the government to shift from minimum wage-setting toward a living wage standard for Filipino workers.
Villanueva raised the issue during the Senate hearing on the proposed 2027 national budget, questioning why a regional trial court issued an injunction against NCR Wage Order No. 27 despite Article 126 of the Labor Code prohibiting courts from issuing injunctions or temporary restraining orders against wage board proceedings.
“Ang tagal ko na pong naging chair ng Senate Committee on Labor, pero ngayon ko lang nakita na verbatim na sinuway ng korte yung eksaktong nakalagay sa ating Labor Code,” Villanueva said.
The Senate has adopted a resolution questioning the court’s intervention, he noted.
NCR Wage Order No. 27 would increase the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila from P755 to P840. Its implementation remains suspended pending court proceedings.
Villanueva has filed Senate Bill No. 44, or the Living Wage Act, which seeks to establish standards for determining a wage that would allow workers not only to meet basic needs but also live with dignity.
He asked the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) to address the wage disparity between Metro Manila and nearby provinces, pointing to workers from Bulacan who travel to the capital for higher-paying jobs.
“Kesa magtrabaho dito, tatawid ka na lang ng kalye papuntang NCR,” Villanueva said.
DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said minimum wage decisions should remain under regional tripartite wage boards. He also noted that wage increases in Metro Manila have outpaced inflation in recent years.
Villanueva, however, pointed out that workers outside the National Capital Region continue to face a wider gap between wages and the cost of living.
Balisacan maintained that a single nationwide minimum wage was not advisable because wage policies must also consider job quality and investment conditions.
Villanueva clarified that he was not seeking to abolish regional wage boards but wanted them to use a living wage as the benchmark for setting regional rates.
“Importante na magkaisa po tayo sa direksyon ng pag-uusap tungkol sa living wage, dahil nakasaad ito sa ating saligang batas,” he said.
The senator cited the 1987 Constitution’s provision guaranteeing workers a living wage.
Villanueva also connected the proposal to the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, which he authored to promote investments in job-generating industries.
He asked DEPDev to provide an update on how the law’s strategies covering labor demand, labor supply and market governance are reflected in the proposed 2027 national budget.
Photo courtesy of EsquireMag
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