Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan expressed his full support for a Senate resolution calling for the lifting of the temporary restraining order (TRO) that has prevented the implementation of the P85 daily minimum wage increase for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR).
Proposed Senate Resolution No. 577, filed on August 4, was signed by all senators from both blocs.
The resolution sought to express the sense of the Senate in support of Filipino workers, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the agencies responsible for determining regional minimum wages.
In his co-sponsorship speech, Pangilinan pointed out that the P85 increase in workers’ daily wages would provide immediate relief to families struggling with the continued rise in the prices of basic goods and services.
“Para sa marami, malaking bagay ito sa pang araw-araw na gastusin. Para sa ating mga manggagawa—pag-asa lang po natin ay makita ang bunga ng tamang prosesong dinaanan,” he said.
“Ang karagdagang sahod na ito ay para sa kanilang pamilyang uuwian, at para sa tahanang pinagsisikapang itaguyod,” he added.
The veteran lawmaker stressed that Article 126 of the Labor Code of the Philippines provides for the wage board’s process in determining the proper regional minimum wage for the benefit of Filipino workers.
PSR 577 stated that Congress enacted the statutory prohibition that courts cannot issue injunctions against proceedings of the wage boards “to preserve the integrity and effectiveness of the wage orders and to prevent courts from unduly halting or interfering with specialized and administrative process of minimum wage determination, thereby ensuring that workers receive appropriate wage adjustments without any delays caused by protracted litigation initiated by opposing parties.”
Branch 152 of the Pasig City Regional Trial Court issued a TRO on July 30 against the implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27 by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-NCR), setting an increase of P85 in the daily minimum wage of covered private-sector workers in NCR.
The TRO was issued based on a petition filed by Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. The court effectively suspended the implementation of the wage hike from July 25 to August 13, pending further proceedings.
The wage adjustment was to be implemented in two tranches: an initial increase of P60 on July 25 and an additional P25 increase on January 20, 2027.
Once implemented in full, the increase will bring the minimum wage in NCR from P695 to P780 for the non-agriculture sector, and from P658 to P743 for the agriculture sector, as well as service and retail establishments employing 15 workers or less and manufacturers regularly employing less than 10 workers.