Labor Group Warns of 'Chaos' Over Overlapping Metro Manila Wage Hikes

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), one of the country's major labor centers, has warned that the government's handling of two Metro Manila wage orders has created "chaos." TUCP on September 13 pressed the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue a definitive clarification reconciling NCR Wage Order Nos. 27 and 28. Wage Order No. 27 grants an P85 increase effective July 25, 2026, while the subsequent Wage Order No. 28 provides a P60 increase. The two overlapping orders, the group said, leave workers with uncertainty over whether they are still entitled to an earlier P85 increase, backpay, and a second tranche due next year. TUCP questioned why the earlier order was not being implemented and argued that DOLE had yet to clearly explain whether the newer P60 increase was only an interim measure pending the resolution of legal issues surrounding Wage Order No. 27. "The DOLE cannot have it both ways," TUCP said. It argued that the department could not cite possible contempt of court as the reason for withholding implementation of the P85 increase while allowing the new P60 order to take effect without explaining what happens to workers' claimed entitlement under the first order. "That is not clarity but chaos," the labor group said. The confusion extends to wage differentials TUCP estimates have accumulated to about P3,000 since July 25, as well as the P25 second tranche under Wage Order No. 27 scheduled for January 2027. The group maintained that Wage Order No. 27 remains effective because, it said, no preliminary injunction has been issued with the required bond. TUCP also questioned the process behind Wage Order No. 28, including whether workers were meaningfully consulted and whether the proper National Wages and Productivity Commission review was undertaken. It called on DOLE to clarify the legal and procedural basis for Wage Order No. 28 and state explicitly whether it supersedes, diminishes or otherwise affects the earlier order. TUCP also demanded payment of any wage differentials accruing from July 25 and reaffirmation of the P25 second tranche due in January 2027. The group warned that continued uncertainty could fuel broader worker protests. "Every day of government inaction compounds the injustice," TUCP said, adding that the government still had time to prevent what it described as a potential "full-blown labor crisis."