Trabaho Party-list welcomed the Department of Labor and Employment’s announced P85 daily minimum wage increase for private sector workers in Metro Manila, calling it an important milestone for Filipino labor.
Party-list representative Johanne Bautista, however, said wage hikes alone are not enough and pushed for the passage of House Bill No. 4431 or the proposed WAGE Bill, which seeks to raise the tax-free income threshold and expand non-taxable employee benefits.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said the wage increase will be implemented in two tranches, with P60 taking effect on July 19, 2026, and the remaining P25 on Jan. 20, 2027.
Bautista said the proposed tax reforms would help workers keep more of their income while also easing the burden on businesses, particularly micro, small, and medium enterprises.
Business groups expressed mixed reactions to the wage hike, with some supporting additional reforms to help employers manage rising labor costs while others warned of possible impacts on hiring and operations.
Source: PhilNews24 | July 5, 2026
