Philippines: Solicitor General Urges Swift Resolution on Wage Hike Freeze

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has urged a Pasig City court to immediately resolve its pending motion for reconsideration seeking to lift the freeze order on the P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila. In a motion to resolve the OSG's motion filed on September 3, state lawyers urged Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 152 to rule on the government's “Urgent Motion for Reconsideration Ad Cautelam” filed on August 17. This motion seeks to dismiss the cases filed by construction firms and set aside the court's August 13 order that issued a writ of preliminary injunction against the wage hike order. According to the OSG, the motions filed by the government are now “ripe for resolution.” "Moreover, the issues raised in the Motion concern the continued implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27 and directly affect minimum wage earners, employers, and other stakeholders throughout the National Capital Region, which issues plainly pertain to the unreleased daily increase in workers' wages that this Honorable Court enjoined," the OSG said. "Its early resolution would therefore serve the interests of justice, fairness, and public welfare by removing uncertainty on a matter imbued with significant public interest," it added. The government's primary legal defense counsel stressed that a prompt ruling is necessary because the OSG's motion raises a threshold objection regarding the RTC's jurisdiction over wage board decisions. "Questions of jurisdiction are not deferred to the end of a case; they are resolved at the earliest opportunity, precisely so that neither the parties nor the Honorable Court expend further time and resources on proceedings that may ultimately be void," the motion read. The controversy stems from a Department of Labor and Employment wage order that granted a two-tranche P85 daily minimum wage increase for over 1.1 million workers in the National Capital Region. The first tranche—a P60 increase—was slated to take effect on July 25, followed by the remaining P25 in January 2027. However, petitioners, construction firms Readycon and R-II Builders, filed a petition for declaratory relief, alleging that the wage board failed to properly consider employer capacity to pay under the Labor Code amid rising fuel and operational costs. Branch 152 granted a temporary restraining order on July 30, followed by a writ of preliminary injunction on August 13 after requiring the petitioners to post a P10-billion bond. The government and various labor groups have challenged the injunction, citing Article 126 of the Labor Code, which explicitly prohibits courts from issuing injunctions or restraining orders against wage board proceedings. Lawyer Sonny Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), backed the OSG’s motion, urging the court to immediately address jurisdiction before taking any further steps. He argued that if the court lacks authority, there is no reason to stall the proceedings while workers suffer financially on the sidelines. "We are one with the OSG on this. Jurisdiction is not an issue you save for dessert—it belongs at the beginning of the meal. If the court has no jurisdiction, there is no reason to keep dribbling the ball while workers wait with empty pockets on the sidelines. Resolve it now," Matula said. Matula stressed that both the government and labor are aligned in their appeal, adding that alongside the OSG's stance and labor's pleas, the immediate financial strain on workers every payday should serve as a clear signal for the court to resolve the matter. "The OSG has spoken. Labor has spoken—even if labor is still waiting to be allowed inside. Most importantly, workers’ empty pockets speak every payday. We respectfully hope the Court hears all three," Matula said.