The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said a decision on petitions seeking a Php 1,200 daily minimum wage in Metro Manila could be released by July.
DOLE spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Lennard Serrano said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in the National Capital Region has received 16 petitions for the proposed wage hike.
The most recent petition came from the Business Process Outsourcing Industry Employees Network, which cited rising prices of goods and services and external pressures such as tensions in the Middle East.
Serrano said regional wage boards have the authority to evaluate wage hike requests, conduct consultations, and issue wage orders based on their assessment of economic conditions.
He said the NCR petitions also sought exemption from the standard 12-month wage review cycle, citing urgent conditions such as rising fuel costs, inflation, and weaker purchasing power.
According to Serrano, the current wage cycle has already concluded, with preparations now underway for the next cycle covering 2026 to 2027.
He said a new wage order in Metro Manila may be issued around July 18, subject to hearings and evaluation of whether the petitions meet the criteria for urgent consideration.
Serrano also noted that similar wage hike petitions have been filed in other regions and will undergo separate review by their respective wage boards.