The Marcos administration will fight to implement the P85 daily minimum wage increase in Metro Manila after a court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the new wage order, Malacañang said Monday, Aug. 3.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is ready to defend Wage Order No. NCR-27, which granted the increase to minimum wage earners in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Ang Office of the Solicitor General ay ready naman po na ipaglaban po ang wage order na naipasa po para sa ating mga manggagawa (The Office of the Solicitor General is ready to fight for the wage order that was passed for our workers),” she said in a Palace press briefing.

Castro said the government respects the courts but maintains its right to defend what it believes is appropriate for workers, adding that documents and objections are already being prepared in response to the TRO.

“Sa ngayon po ay mayroon na pong ginagawa po na dokumento at pagtutol, although, of course, iginagalang natin ang lahat ng korte (At present, documents and objections are already being prepared, although, of course, we respect all courts),” she said.

“Pero ang pamahalaan, ang administrasyon, ay mayroon naman din pong karapatan na ihayag kung ano ang nararapat para sa ating mga kababayan at sa ating mga manggagawa (However, the government, the administration, also has the right to express what is appropriate for our fellow Filipinos and our workers),” she said.

The Palace Press Officer also said the proper remedy for anyone questioning the wage adjustment should have been to file an appeal through the regional wage-setting mechanism instead of going to court.

Asked whether the wage increase could be implemented after the 20-day TRO expires on Aug. 13, Castro declined to speculate, saying the Palace would not preempt the court or the OSG.

“Sa ngayon po ay ipinaglalaban ang stance ng ating pamahalaan patungkol sa wage order para sa ating mga kababayan sa NCR (For now, the government is fighting for its position regarding the wage order for our fellow Filipinos in the NCR),” she said.

Wage Order No. NCR-27 grants a total P85 daily minimum wage increase in two tranches, with P60 intended to take effect on July 25 and the remaining P25 on Jan. 20, 2027, bringing the minimum daily wage for non-agriculture workers from P695 to P780 upon full implementation.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) earlier said more than 1.1 million minimum wage earners in Metro Manila would directly benefit from the adjustment, which it described as the largest single daily minimum wage increase approved in the region.

President Marcos has also said regional wage boards are continuously reviewing economic conditions in their respective areas to determine whether workers outside Metro Manila should receive salary adjustments, with decisions in several regions expected later this year.

Asked whether the TRO could prompt Marcos to support calls for a legislated wage hike instead, Castro said the President wants workers to receive appropriate wages but that the government would continue working through the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards unless Congress passes a law providing otherwise.

“Ang pagbibigay naman po nang tamang wage or suweldo sa ating mga manggagawa ito naman po ay nais ng Pangulo, kaya hangga’t wala pang nagagawa na batas patungkol po dito tuluy-tuloy po ang pagtatrabaho ng pamahalaan at ng Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board para po matugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan (The President wants our workers to receive the proper wage or salary, so as long as there is no law on this matter, the government and the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board will continue working to address the needs of our fellow Filipinos),” she said.

The Palace had taken a similar position in June 2025 amid proposals in Congress for a P200 across-the-board wage increase, with Castro saying that any legislated increase would have to come from Congress.

“‘Yan po ay nasa Kongreso (That lies with Congress),” she said at the time.

“Hindi po pwedeng basta magdikta ang Pangulo (The President cannot just dictate),” she added.

Castro had also stressed that Marcos was not opposed to higher wages, pointing to increases approved through the regional wage boards.

“Taun-taon po, ‘yan po ang hiling ng Pangulo—na magkaroon po ng pagtaas ng sweldo (Every year, the President calls for salary increases),” she said.