THE Pasig City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of the P85 minimum wage hike in Metro Manila.
In an order dated July 30, 2026, Judge Marie Joyce Manongsong of RTC Branch 152 granted the petition filed by Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. seeking to stop the implementation of NCR Wage Order 27 pending the resolution of their petition for declaratory relief.
“At the outset, this court deems it necessary to state that it approached the issue not through a binary perspective, or viewed the parties as groups with absolute dichotomy of interests, but with a recognition that they are actually interdependent,” the order read.
“That said, this court finds that the peculiar circumstances of this case justify the issuance of a temporary restraining order to briefly stall the implementation of the assailed wage order,” it added.
The court directed the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board–National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) and the National Wages and Productivity Commission not to implement the wage adjustments until August 13.
The TRO was issued after the petitioners posted a P1 million bond.
Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said he was saddened by the court order but would abide by it.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) condemned the court’s order, saying the petitioners were seeking to deprive Metro Manila workers of the “long-overdue” P85 daily minimum wage increase despite soaring prices of food, transportation, electricity, housing, and other basic necessities.
“This is the height of corporate greed, desperation, and utter indifference to the daily suffering of Filipino workers,” the TUCP said in a statement.
The group described the legal action as “reprehensible,” noting that the initial P60 increase, which workers were supposed to receive this month, was being stopped through the courts, while the remaining P25 has already been deferred until next year.
The TUCP added that the wage increase should not be delayed because of the actions of just two employers, whom it accused of showing little regard for the welfare of their employees.
“This is not simply an objection to a wage order. This is an attempt to destroy the integrity of tripartism itself. Employers actively participated in every stage of the wage board proceedings. They were heard. They presented evidence. They voted. They lost,” the TUCP said.
“Now that they failed to convince the Wage Board, they seek to achieve in court what they could not obtain through the very legal process established by Congress. Hindi maaaring gawing second round ng wage board ang hukuman dahil lamang natalo ang isang panig sa botohan,” it added.
The TUCP also called on workers, labor organizations, and advocates of social justice to remain vigilant and united in defending not only Wage Order No. 27 but also the integrity of the country’s wage determination system.
“Workers have already waited far too long for this measly wage increase. It is grossly inadequate, it is staggered, and it falls far short of what families need to survive. Yet even this little relief is now being challenged in court. We will not allow the rights and dignity of Filipino workers to become casualties of corporate greed and legal maneuvering. The law, social justice, and basic decency are on the side of labor,” the group said. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)