Malacañang on Monday, August 3, affirmed that the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will legally contest a temporary restraining order (TRO) halting the implementation of the ₱85 daily minimum wage increase for Metro Manila workers.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed during a press briefing that the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is gearing up to defend Wage Order No. NCR-27.
“Ang Office of the Solicitor General ay ready naman po na ipaglaban po ang wage order na naipasa po para sa ating mga manggagawa,” Castro stated.
Castro noted that while the executive branch respects judicial authority, government lawyers are actively drafting opposition documents to assert the administration’s commitment to labor welfare.
“Sa ngayon po ay mayroon na pong ginagawa po na dokumento at pagtutol, although, of course, iginagalang natin ang lahat ng korte,” she said.
“Pero ang pamahalaan, ang administrasyon, ay mayroon naman din pong karapatan na ihayag kung ano ang nararapat para sa ating mga kababayan at sa ating mga manggagawa,” Castro added.
The Palace press officer pointed out that challengers of the pay adjustment should have first exhausted administrative remedies via the regional wage-setting framework prior to seeking court intervention.
She refrained from confirming whether the wage hike would immediately take effect after the 20-day TRO expires on August 13, deferring the legal process to the courts and the OSG.
“Sa ngayon po ay ipinaglalaban ang stance ng ating pamahalaan patungkol sa wage order para sa ating mga kababayan sa NCR,” she emphasized.
Approved under Wage Order No. NCR-27, the wage adjustment provides a two-tranche increase: a ₱60 initial hike originally slated for July 25, followed by a ₱25 increase on January 20, 2027. Once fully realized, daily minimum wages for non-agricultural workers in the National Capital Region will rise from ₱695 to ₱780.
According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the adjustment marks the largest single daily wage hike in Metro Manila’s history and is expected to directly benefit over 1.1 million minimum wage earners.
Meanwhile, President Marcos noted that regional wage boards nationwide are currently evaluating local economic data to determine potential pay adjustments outside Metro Manila later this year.