MANILA — Regional wage boards across the Philippines have already been reviewing petitions for wage hikes, Malacañang said on Wednesday, after a labor group dared President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent a bill seeking to increase workers’ pay by at least P200.

The President’s directive is to follow the Labor Code, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Claire Castro told Palace reporters.

“Nagkaroon na ng pagrereview sa 16 na rehiyon at nagkaroon na rin ng pagtaas ng suweldo sa ibang rehiyon,” she said, without saying if these reviews are recent or if these have begun before calls to hike wages anew.

“Kinakailangan din po natin madinig lahat, ang employers at employees para mabigay natin ang risonableng suweldo para sa mga kababayan natin,” she said.

When asked why the President is relying on Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) instead of just certifying a bill as urgent, Castro said: “Ang saklaw po ng pangulo ay ang nasa ehekutibo.”

“Mas madali magbigay ng direktiba kung ano ang makakaginhawa sa ating mga kababayan,” she said.

“Mas madali silang mapakiusapan, mabigyan ng derektiba kasi kapag ganun po,” she added.

The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) earlier called on Marcos to certify as urgent the P200 legislated wage hike, citing hikes in public transportation costs. TUCP said that after the LRT-1 fare hikes,  there are also pending petitions for a P2 provisional increase in jeepney fares, along with a P2 fare hike for both city and provincial buses.

"We urge the President to certify the P200 legislated wage hike as urgent now, not months from now. The workers of this country cannot wait and suffer any longer," said TUCP President and House Deputy Speaker Raymond Democrito Mendoza in a statement.

A bill seeking to raise wages failed to hurdle the final reading in the House of Representatives earlier this year before the chamber adjourned its session in February.

In December 2024, 14 regions saw an increase in wages benefitting some 4.9 million minimum wage earners in the private sector, according to data from the Department of Labor and Employment.

As of 2024, the minimum daily wage in Metro Manila is at P645, while other regions saw their daily wages increase by P21 to P75.