Last updated: October 4, 2026
If you work in Metro Manila and earn minimum wage, may bagong rate na sa’yo. A P60 daily increase officially took effect on September 26, 2026, bringing the NCR minimum wage to P755 per day for most workers. It came through a second wage order, because the bigger P85 hike approved in June has been stuck in court.
Here is everything you need to know about Wage Order No. NCR-28, what happened to Wage Order No. NCR-27, and how much extra you will actually take home.
Update (October 2026): Wage Order NCR-28 is now the order employers must follow, with the rates below. Wage Order NCR-27 (the original P85 increase) is still blocked by a Pasig court injunction and remains under challenge in court. For the full legal timeline, read our running tracker: Latest Update: DOLE Fights Injunction, Labor Group Says Wage Hike Already in Effect.
What Are Wage Orders NCR-27 and NCR-28?
On June 23, 2026, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of the National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) signed Wage Order No. NCR-27, granting a P85 daily increase in two tranches: P60 starting July 25, 2026, and P25 on January 20, 2027. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino called it the largest single daily wage adjustment ever approved for the region, benefiting around 1.1 million workers.
Two construction firms, Readycon and R-II Builders, challenged the order before the Pasig Regional Trial Court. The court issued a TRO on July 30, then converted it into a preliminary injunction on August 13, conditioned on a P10 billion bond that the firms have yet to post, according to news reports. Labor groups have asked the Supreme Court to step in, and DOLE is pursuing its own legal remedies. Under the Wage Rationalization Act, no court is supposed to issue an injunction against proceedings of the wage boards, which is a big part of the labor groups’ argument.
Because NCR-27 stayed frozen, the wage board approved Wage Order No. NCR-28 on September 7, 2026. It was published on September 11, confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), and took effect on September 26, 2026. It carries the same P60 as the first tranche of NCR-27, but as a separate order, so the injunction against NCR-27 does not cover it.
When Does the Wage Hike Take Effect?
The P60 increase under NCR-28 took effect on September 26, 2026. DOLE has told employers to make sure their payroll reflects the new rates and says it will monitor compliance.
For context, the earlier timeline looked like this:
- July 25, 2026: The first tranche of NCR-27 was supposed to take effect
- July 30: Pasig RTC issued a 20-day TRO
- August 13: The TRO expired and the court issued a preliminary injunction
- September 7 to 11: NCR-28 was approved and published
- September 26: NCR-28 took effect
The P25 second tranche that was scheduled for January 20, 2027 exists only under NCR-27. NCR-28 has no counterpart for it, so whether you will get it depends on how the NCR-27 case ends.
How Much Will Your Daily Wage Increase?
The new rates depend on what kind of establishment you work for.
For non-agriculture sector workers (most office, retail, and service jobs):
Previous daily wage: P695
Current daily wage under NCR-28: P755
For agriculture workers, retail/service establishments with 15 workers or fewer, and manufacturing firms with fewer than 10 workers:
Previous daily wage: P658
Current daily wage under NCR-28: P718
The P780 and P743 rates mentioned in earlier coverage (including our own) would apply only if NCR-27 is fully implemented, which is not the case right now. Whether the two orders would stack if the NCR-27 injunction is lifted has not been clearly settled. Secretary Tolentino has said the P60 under NCR-28 should not be viewed as a deduction from the P85 under NCR-27, but check for an official DOLE advisory before assuming either way.
What This Means for Your Monthly Take-Home Pay
Assuming a standard 26 working days a month, here is roughly what the increase adds to your paycheck:
- Under NCR-28 (now in effect): P60 x 26 days = P1,560 more per month
- If NCR-27 were fully implemented: P85 x 26 days = P2,210 more per month
This is a rough estimate. For your exact take-home pay after deductions like SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, and tax, use our Net Salary Calculator to see the real numbers based on your specific pay.
What About Back Pay From July 25?
Some labor groups argue that workers are still owed the P60 for the period between July 25 and September 25, since they say NCR-27 should never have been blocked. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines has said workers should have received more than P3,000 in back pay by now. This is the unions’ position and a pending legal question, not a confirmed entitlement. Employers are only clearly required to pay the NCR-28 rates from September 26. DOLE has also said that workers who already received the NCR-27 increase before the TRO do not have to return it.
Is This Wage Hike Only for NCR?
Yes, for now. These wage orders only cover workers within Metro Manila. However, DOLE has directed other Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) nationwide to begin reviewing their own wage levels, with assessments expected to start within 60 days before the anniversary of each region’s existing wage order. So kung nasa ibang region ka, may possibility na susunod din kayo, pero walang confirmed timeline pa as of now.
What Should Employees Do?
- Confirm with your HR or employer that P755 (or P718, depending on your establishment) is reflected in your payslip for work from September 26 onward
- Keep your payslips from July 25 to September 25 in case back pay is ordered later
- Watch for developments on NCR-27 at the Supreme Court, since it affects the January 2027 second tranche and the back pay issue
- If your pay is close to but above the new minimum, ask about potential wage distortion adjustments, since companies are expected to review pay scales for employees just above the new minimum too
- If your employer hasn’t implemented the increase, you can raise the concern with DOLE, since penalties apply for non-compliance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NCR minimum wage right now?
As of September 26, 2026, the daily minimum wage under Wage Order NCR-28 is P755 for non-agriculture workers and P718 for agriculture workers, small retail and service establishments with 15 workers or fewer, and small manufacturing firms with fewer than 10 workers.
Is the P85 wage increase still happening?
Not at the moment. Wage Order NCR-27 remains blocked by a Pasig RTC injunction while the case continues in court. The P60 first tranche is now being delivered through NCR-28 instead. The P25 second tranche from NCR-27 is uncertain.
Do I need to pay or receive P780 now?
No. P780 is the rate that would apply only after both tranches of NCR-27 are in effect. The operative rate for non-agriculture workers today is P755.
Does this wage increase apply to all workers in Metro Manila?
It applies to private sector minimum wage earners in NCR. Government employees follow a separate compensation system (the Salary Standardization Law), not wage orders from the RTWPB.
What if my employer doesn’t implement the increase?
Non-compliance with a wage order can result in penalties for employers. If your pay isn’t adjusted, you can raise the concern with DOLE or your company’s HR and compliance team.
Will there be a wage hike outside NCR too?
Not yet confirmed. Other regions’ wage boards are still reviewing their own rates, and any adjustments there will likely follow a separate timeline and process.
How do I know my exact new take-home pay?
Your exact take-home pay depends on your deductions and tax bracket. Use our Net Salary Calculator to compute it based on the new daily rate.
Blogger’s Corner
Honestly, medyo magulo ang kuwento ng wage hike na ito. Pinangako ang P85, na-block ng korte, tapos P60 muna ang dumating through a new order. Still, malaking tulong pa rin ang dagdag na P60 kada araw lalo na ngayong mataas pa rin ang presyo ng bilihin. Pero kahit P755 na ang minimum wage sa NCR (o P780 kung matuloy ang NCR-27), malayo pa rin ito sa tinatawag na “family living wage” na tinatantya ng mga think tank na lumalampas ng P1,000 kada araw para sa isang pamilya. So while this is genuinely good news, it’s also a reminder na dapat pa rin nating pag-isipan kung paano mag-budget, mag-ipon, at maghanap ng additional income streams kung kaya.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Wage rates and effectivity dates are based on DOLE announcements and news reports as of the update date above, and the legal status of Wage Order NCR-27 may change. Please verify with official government sources for your specific situation.
Before you publish:
- I couldn’t open the signed NCR-28 order itself, so the P755 and P718 figures come from DOLE statements as reported by several outlets. Quickly confirm them against the NWPC-NCR page.
- Philstar reports that NCR-27 is also being challenged before the Navotas RTC, alongside Pasig. I left that out of the body to keep it simple, but you can add it to the tracker.
- I linked to the tracker at /ncr-wage-hike-tro-2026/, so make sure the tracker links back to this page and gets its own NCR-28 update.