WAGE regulators are set to deliberate the first phase of a new minimum wage review cycle next month, starting with the National Capital Region (NCR).
This scheduled assessment follows the P50 increase implemented in the capital last July, which set current daily minimum rates between P658 and P695.
In a news release on Monday, the National Wages and Productivity Commission under the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the review process will roll out across other regions throughout the remainder of the year and into early 2027.
An additional focus of the new cycle includes the Middle East conflict, according to DoLE, with regulators assessing its impact on the prices of basic commodities and overall wage stability.
Following the NCR review in May, wage boards in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, and Central Visayas will begin their assessments in August 2026.
The Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Soccsksargen are slated for September, while the Cordillera Administrative Region and Eastern Visayas will follow in October.
Reviews for Mimaropa, the Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, and Caraga are set for November. The cycle is projected to conclude with the Davao and Bicol regions in early 2027.
The previous 2025-2026 cycle resulted in 16 wage orders for private establishments, granting daily increases ranging from P20 to P100. These adjustments covered an estimated 4.7 million minimum wage earners and more than 1 million domestic workers nationwide.
Upward adjustments at the enterprise level also led to indirect wage gains for approximately 8.7 million workers through the correction of wage distortions.
Determinations continue to be governed by Republic Act No. 6727, though pending legislation in Congress seeks to reform or bypass the regional system by proposing a nationwide across-the-board increase. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
