President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is carefully evaluating whether a legislated wage hike could trigger job losses, especially among small businesses, Malacañang said on Tuesday.
“Pag-aaralan ito kung kakayanin ba talaga, kasi kung magdudulot naman ito ng lay-off… mas marami pong mahihirapang mga manggagawa dahil baka mawalan sila ng trabaho,” said Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro during a media briefing.
She stressed that the administration is looking into all sides of the issue “para sa ikabubuti po ng lahat.”
Lawmakers previously pushed for a legislated wage increase—P200 in the House and P100 in the Senate—but the measure failed to pass after both chambers couldn’t finalize a consolidated version before the 19th Congress adjourned. The bill will now have to be refiled in the 20th Congress.
Meanwhile, workers in Metro Manila are set to receive some relief starting next month as the NCR wage board approved a P50 daily wage hike under Wage Order No. 26. According to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the increase is expected to benefit around 1.2 million minimum wage earners.
The National Wages and Productivity Commission estimates that this translates to an additional P1,100 monthly for those on a five-day workweek, and P1,300 for a six-day workweek. With the adjustment, non-agriculture workers can expect a monthly pay ranging from P15,247 to P18,216—this includes mandated benefits such as the 13th-month pay, SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG contributions.
