Senators expressed strong disapproval on Monday, August 3, following a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by a Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) that blocked the rollout of the ₱85 daily minimum wage increase for workers in Metro Manila.
The petition—submitted by Readycon Trading and Construction Corporation alongside R-11 Builders, Inc. to Pasig RTC Branch 152—temporarily prevents the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–NCR and the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) from enforcing the wage adjustment through August 13.
Tulfo Cites Labor Code Violation, Vows Legislative Action
Senator Raffy Tulfo condemned the court’s intervention, stressing that Article 126 of the Labor Code strictly prohibits courts or other authorities from issuing injunctions or TROs against Regional Wage Board proceedings and rulings. He emphasized that any challenge should have been routed through the proper administrative channels at the NWPC.
“The wage increase is already meager dspite the continuous rise in the prices of goods, and now even that has been denied to our struggling workers who simply want to make ends meet,” Tulfo said in a statement.
The scheduled ₱85 adjustment was set for a phased implementation: an initial ₱60 increase that took effect on July 25, followed by the remaining ₱25 on January 1, 2027.
“Suspending their wage increase is an even greater violation of theri rights, especially amid the continuing rise in the prices of basic goods. The lives and livelihoods of laborerrs should take precedence in this matter,” he said.
“The court should no longer interfere in this issue, and it would be better for these companies—who show no appreciation for the contributions of their workers to their businesses—to pursue their appeal through the proper process,” the senator said.
Tulfo announced plans to introduce legislation clarifying Article 126 of the Labor Code to prevent similar judicial interventions in wage hikes going forward.
Hontiveros Urges Legal Defense and Lower Power Rates
Senator Risa Hontiveros also voiced frustration, calling on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to push for an immediate dismissal of the case.
“First, the ₱85 wage hike must be implemented. It’s already a modest increase, and it’s even being paid in installments. Groups such as the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines have already agreed to it, and some employers are prepared to provide the wage increase. So workers should not lose this pay raise simply because it has been blocked in court,” Hontiveros said.
“I also urge our business community: let us go through the administrative processes for exemption. Let us respect the law and the tripartite system in which workers, employers, and the government all have a voice,” she appealed.
“If this system is bypassed, the predictability and industrial peace that allow businesses to thrive will be put at risk,” she stressed.
Hontiveros added that alongside protecting the wage hike, the government must address high utility rates.
“When it comes to the wage hike and reducing electricity charges, we have solutions, we have the means, and we can fix this,” she said.
Villanueva Questions Legal Basis of the Ruling
Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joel Villanueva, who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor and Employment, expressed confusion over the court’s ruling given clear statutory limits.
“As head of the Senate labor panel, I’m also saddened by this development. This increase is badly needed by our workers. I’m also confused by that decision primarily because of Article 126 of the Labor Code,” he said.
“I’m more than willing to be corrected, but that is also my understanding of the law,” added Villanueva.
Villanueva voiced hope that the legal issues surrounding the pay hike would be swiftly resolved in favor of the working public.