Minimum wages raised in most Philippine regions

THE PHILIPPINE government has wrapped up most of its 2025 regional minimum wage reviews, leading to a round of pay increases for workers across the country, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said.

Fourteen regional wage orders covering private sector workers were issued last year by Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards, the agency said in a statement.

These covered the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Caraga. The increases ranged from P20 to P100 daily.

The NCR kept the highest minimum wage level nationwide, with daily rates ranging from P658 to P695. Other regions approved more modest adjustments, reflecting differences in local economic activity, cost of living and productivity conditions.

Separate wage orders were also issued for domestic workers. DoLE said 11 wage orders covering domestic workers were released in the CAR, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Soccsksargen and Caraga. These orders granted monthly minimum wage increases ranging from P300 to P2,000.

DoLE estimates that more than 4.5 million minimum wage earners in private establishments directly benefited from the wage adjustments in 2025. About 755,000 domestic workers were also covered by the revised rates.

“Wage orders were issued in consultation with workers and employers to ensure balance between protection and needs, reasonable returns on investments and employment generation,” the agency said.

It added that about 8 million full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage could also benefit indirectly. These adjustments may trigger wage distortion corrections at the enterprise level.

DoLE defines wage distortion as a situation where a mandated wage increase reduces or eliminates established pay differences among employee groups within the same company.

Separately, DoLE confirmed that the National Wages and Productivity Commission has affirmed the wage orders for Northern Mindanao, which will take effect on Jan. 16. These include a P39 daily minimum wage increase for private sector workers, to be implemented in two tranches, and a P500 monthly increase for domestic workers.

Once fully implemented, minimum daily wages in Northern Mindanao will range from P485 to P500. Monthly pay for domestic workers in the region will rise to P6,500.

Meanwhile, wage boards in the Davao Region and Bicol Region are expected to begin their wage review processes in January and February, respectively.

DoLE said wage-setting decisions continue to rely on consultations with labor and management groups, alongside assessments of regional economic conditions, productivity trends and employment levels.

Beyond wage setting, DoLE said the National Wages and Productivity Commission and wage boards have reached more than 28,000 micro, small and medium enterprises through productivity and gain-sharing programs. A portion of these firms had begun executing productivity-based action plans as of November 2025. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking