President Marcos personally drove the push for a record P85 jump in Metro Manila’s daily minimum wage, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said Tuesday, framing the adjustment as a way to restore dignity to workers squeezed by rising prices of everyday goods and services.
Tolentino delivered the news at the Malabon Public Market, where he sat down with workers for a consultation. “I am happy to announce this morning that we will increase the salary of all workers in Metro Manila to a historic P85 increase,” he told them.
Rather than landing all at once, the raise arrives in two stages. A P60 bump takes effect July 19 this year, with the remaining P25 following in January. For non-agricultural workers, that lifts the floor from P695 to P780 daily once the full amount kicks in next year.
A separate tier applies to the agricultural sector, public market workers, retail outfits with fewer than 15 staff, and small manufacturers running 10 or fewer employees. Their daily rate climbs to P743.
By Tolentino’s count, roughly 1.1 million minimum wage earners across the capital stand to gain directly. The benefit could extend further still, reaching an estimated 1.9 million full-time workers who already earn above the minimum. “This will benefit 1.1 million daily wage earners in Metro Manila,” the labor chief said.
Tolentino also credited the country’s major business and employer groups, thanking them for backing what he called a balanced settlement that the commercial sector could live with.
