Last updated: October 4, 2026
The NCR wage hike story has a new chapter. While the court fight over Wage Order NCR-27 continues, a second order, Wage Order NCR-28, took effect on September 26, 2026, raising the NCR minimum wage by ₱60 to ₱755 for most workers.
Here’s what changed since our September 5 update, where things stand in court, and what it means for your payroll and your paycheck. For the full rates and take-home pay breakdown, see our main guide: NCR Minimum Wage 2026.
What Happened Before September
The legal tug-of-war over Wage Order NCR-27 got messier through August. DOLE didn’t just sit on the injunction. On August 17, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino filed a motion for reconsideration before Pasig RTC Branch 152, asking the court to junk the case entirely. DOLE’s argument has three parts: the court had no jurisdiction to begin with, administrative remedies weren’t exhausted before going to court, and Article 126 of the Labor Code specifically bars courts from issuing injunctions against wage board proceedings in the first place.
At the same time, something interesting happened with the ₱10 billion bond the court required. Readycon and R-II Builders, the two construction firms behind the case, never posted it. Instead, on August 16, they filed their own motion asking the court to lower the bond amount, arguing ₱10 billion was calculated based on region-wide impact even though their case never sought relief for all NCR employers, just themselves.
That gap (TRO expired, bond never posted, injunction technically not yet in force) became the center of a new argument. A labor group, AMWEA-PTGWO, went public on August 30 claiming that Wage Order No. 27 was, in their reading, already legally in effect, and that companies should be paying the ₱60 increase right away. Their reasoning: no bond, no effective injunction, no legal basis to keep withholding the increase.
Important: this was one labor group’s legal position when it first surfaced. The Office of the Solicitor General later argued something similar in court, saying the injunction order did not by itself create a legal restraint because the bond requirement was never met. No court has ruled on that point yet, and DOLE took a different route by having the wage board issue a new order instead.
What Happened After September 5
The OSG pushed back in court. On September 6, the Solicitor General asked the Pasig court to reconsider the injunction. The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) pressed DOLE to enforce the ₱60 from July 25, asking what it was waiting for if it had told the court there was no legal impediment.
NCR-28 arrived. The wage board approved Wage Order No. NCR-28 on September 7. It was published on September 11, confirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), and took effect on September 26. It raises the non-agriculture minimum from ₱695 to ₱755, and the agriculture and small-establishment rate from ₱658 to ₱718. Secretary Tolentino described it as a way to deliver the first tranche immediately while the NCR-27 case continues. He also said the ₱60 is not a deduction from the ₱85 under NCR-27.
Not everyone is happy about it. Lawmakers, including Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza and Rep. France Castro, questioned the basis for issuing a new order while NCR-27 is in litigation. Labor groups criticized it, and some described it as a reduction of the increase originally granted. The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) welcomed the new rate but said it won’t erase the money workers lost during the delay, and vowed to keep fighting for NCR-27.
The Supreme Court is now involved. Labor groups led by the Kamanggagawa party-list asked the Supreme Court to intervene. The Court ordered the two construction firms to respond. As of late September, the firms had yet to comply, according to news reports. Labor groups also asked the Court’s Judicial Integrity Office to look into the Pasig court’s orders.
Timeline So Far
July 25: ₱60 first tranche of Wage Order NCR-27 set to take effect
July 30: Pasig RTC issues a 20-day TRO blocking implementation
August 4 to 7: Senators, DOLE, the Palace, and even labor and employer groups jointly push for the TRO to be lifted
August 13: TRO expires on schedule, but the court converts it into an indefinite preliminary injunction, conditioned on a ₱10 billion bond
August 16: Petitioners fail to post the bond, instead ask the court to reduce it
August 17: DOLE files a motion for reconsideration, seeking to junk the case outright
August: Labor groups, including Kamanggagawa, ask the Supreme Court to intervene
August 30: Labor group AMWEA-PTGWO argues the wage order is technically already enforceable since the bond was never posted
September 6: The OSG asks the Pasig court to reconsider, arguing the injunction order did not by itself create a legal restraint
September 7: RTWPB-NCR approves Wage Order No. NCR-28, a fresh ₱60 increase on a separate legal track
September 8 to 9: Lawmakers publicly question issuing NCR-28 while NCR-27 is still in court
September 11: NCR-28 is published, with an effectivity date of September 26
September 26: NCR-28 takes effect, setting the minimum at ₱755 (non-agriculture) and ₱718 (agriculture and small establishments)
Current status: NCR-27 remains under continuing litigation before RTC Pasig Branch 152 and RTC Navotas Branch 287, with a petition also pending before the Supreme Court. NCR-28 is in force and is the rate employers are expected to follow.
What This Means for Workers and Employers Right Now
For employers: Pay the NCR-28 rates, ₱755 and ₱718, for work from September 26 onward. DOLE has told employers to make sure payroll reflects them and says it will monitor compliance. The question we raised in September, whether to hold off on payroll changes, is now settled for NCR-28.
For workers: Any increase you already received before the TRO stays with you. DOLE has said workers do not have to return it and employers cannot recover it through payroll deductions. The amount you should be getting now is the NCR-28 rate. To see what the new rate means for your actual take-home pay after deductions, use our Net Salary Calculator.
Back pay from July 25 to September 25 is unresolved. Labor groups say wages are still owed under NCR-27. That is their position and a pending legal question, not a confirmed entitlement. Keep your payslips for that period.
Do the two orders stack? Unsettled. Tolentino says the ₱60 is not a deduction from the ₱85, but if the NCR-27 injunction is eventually lifted, there is no official guidance on how the two would combine. The ₱25 second tranche scheduled for January 20, 2027 exists only under NCR-27, and NCR-28 has no counterpart for it.
Importantly, NCR-28 does not resolve the NCR-27 case. Some lawmakers argue that relying on NCR-28 concedes NCR-27 had a legal defect, while labor groups say a court with no jurisdiction cannot erase the July 25 effectivity date.
We’ll keep tracking this and update again when the Supreme Court acts, the Pasig court rules on the pending motions, or DOLE issues guidance on the back pay and stacking questions.
Updated FAQ
Is the wage hike in effect right now?
Yes, through Wage Order NCR-28, which took effect on September 26, 2026. It raises the non-agriculture minimum to ₱755. Wage Order NCR-27, the original ₱85 increase, is still blocked by the Pasig court injunction and remains in litigation.
Do I need to pay the ₱780 minimum wage now?
No. ₱780 is the rate that would apply only if both tranches of NCR-27 were in effect. The operative non-agriculture rate today is ₱755, and the agriculture and small-establishment rate is ₱718.
Will I have to return the ₱60 I already received?
No. DOLE has said workers who received the increase before the TRO do not have to return it, and employers cannot deduct it from later pay.
Am I owed back pay from July 25?
Unclear. Labor groups argue NCR-27 should have been in force from July 25 and are pursuing back wages. There is no ruling or DOLE advisory confirming this, so treat it as a pending legal question. Keep your payslips just in case.
Will the ₱25 second tranche still happen in January 2027?
It depends on how the NCR-27 case ends. That tranche exists only under NCR-27, which is still enjoined. NCR-28 does not include it.
When will this actually be resolved?
There is still no timeline. The case is pending before the Pasig and Navotas courts, and labor groups have a petition before the Supreme Court. A ruling at any level could change the picture.
Blogger’s Corner
Medyo gumaan na ang kuwento, pero hindi pa tapos ang drama. Dumating na ang ₱60 through NCR-28, kaya at least may legal na rate na ₱755 sa NCR. Pero yung P85 na pinangako, nakabinbin pa rin sa korte, at hindi pa malinaw kung makukuha ng mga manggagawa ang back pay at ang January tranche. Patuloy akong magtra-track dito, kasi malayo pa bago matapos ang laban na ‘to.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Court rulings, wage rates, and effectivity dates are based on DOLE announcements and news reports as of the update date above and may change. Please verify with official government sources for your specific situation.