The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to issue an immediate, comprehensive clarification on National Capital Region Wage Order Nos. 27 and 28, warning that ambiguous policies are threatening workers’ earnings and causing confusion among businesses.
At the heart of the dispute is the implementation of Wage Order No. 27, which authorized an P85 pay increase starting July 25, 2026. Labor leaders expressed frustration over DOLE’s reluctance to enforce the full amount, especially following the introduction of Wage Order No. 28, which grants a lower increase of P60.
“Ayaw ng mga manggagawa mabokya, pero ayaw din nilang madaya! Wage Order No. 27, which grants an P85 wage increase effective July 25, 2026, remains effective, yet why is DOLE refusing to implement it despite the absence of a writ of preliminary injunction, particularly when the required bond has not been posted?” the TUCP stated.
The labor union emphasized that DOLE cannot use a newer wage order to undercut an existing, legally valid order without explicit legal grounds.
“What DOLE cannot do is circumvent, nullify or effectively replace an existing effective wage order by issuing a subsequent Wage Order No. 28 that provides for only P60. If the P60 increase under Wage Order No. 28 is intended merely as a transitional or interim measure pending the courts’ resolution of the issues surrounding Wage Order No. 27, then DOLE must state this in clear, explicit, and unequivocal terms and must make equally clear that it does not extinguish or diminish workers’ rights under Wage Order No. 27. All these confusion and contention must be resolved once and for all through an immediate definitive issuance of DOLE,” the group added.
According to the union, delayed implementation has already resulted in approximately P3,000 in unpaid back wages per worker since late July.
The uncertainty also casts doubt on the P25 second tranche scheduled for January 2027 under Wage Order No. 27. The TUCP warned that continued inaction by the government could lead to widespread mass actions by affected employees.
The labor federation challenged the assertion that the original wage order never took effect, noting the lack of a court-issued preliminary injunction or required bond to halt its execution.
“The DOLE cannot have it both ways: it cannot invoke the specter of contempt of court to justify its refusal to not implement P85 wage hike while simultaneously allowing a new wage order to produce only P60 without explaining what happens to the P85 entitlement, its July 25 effectivity, the accumulated wage differential, and the promised P25 second tranche. That is not clarity but chaos,” the TUCP said.
Beyond the monetary discrepancy, the group raised concerns regarding the procedural validity of Wage Order No. 28, questioning whether it underwent transparent deliberations, genuine public consultations, and proper review by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
“The DOLE cannot claim that wage-setting is participatory and evidence-based when workers were used merely as props in a predetermined process, while our demands for clarification and further discussion were disregarded through ambiguity, deceit and betrayal. A wage order affecting millions of workers, especially amid unprecedented judicial proceedings, must not only have a defensible outcome but a defensible process,” the union declared.
To resolve the impasse, the TUCP is urging DOLE to guarantee the payout of all accumulated wage differentials from July 25, 2026, confirm the scheduled P25 second tranche for January 2027, disclose the legal framework behind Wage Order No. 28, and explicitly affirm that the newer order does not diminish or invalidate the protections guaranteed under Wage Order No. 27.