Tolentino to seek reversal of Pasig court order on NCR wage hike

LEGAZPI CITY — Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Monday said he intends to file a motion for reconsideration seeking to overturn a Pasig court order that stopped the implementation of the P85 minimum wage increase in Metro Manila.

Tolentino announced his plan on the sidelines of the Ibalong Job Fair.

Tolentino said the Department of Labor and Employment would work with the Office of the Solicitor General to resolve the order issued by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 152.

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READ: Gov’t urged to resolve NCR wage hike delay

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The court initially issued a temporary restraining order against Wage Order No. NCR-27 after two construction companies questioned its implementation. It subsequently released a writ of preliminary injunction, keeping the wage increase on hold.

The wage order provides for a P85 increase in the daily minimum wage in Metro Manila, to be implemented in two tranches. 

The first P60 increase was supposed to take effect on July 25, followed by another P25 on Jan. 20, 2027.

Tolentino also attended a Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) orientation at Embarcadero in Legazpi with Ako Bicol Party List Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. and Mayor Hisham Ismail.

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The secretary said the labor department would hold job fairs monthly in several parts of the country to help reduce unemployment and provide more opportunities for job seekers.

He also urged private companies to create employment opportunities for job seekers.

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The government, in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, would also strengthen upskilling and retraining programs to match workers’ skills with available jobs, Tolentino said.

He said the measures were intended to address both unemployment and underemployment, in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr./coa