Marking the third year of its inauguration on June 30, 2022, the Marcos Jr administration is using token wage hikes as an anniversary giveaway to boost its image, not to give much-needed relief to millions of struggling Filipino workers, said research group IBON. The recently approved Php50 wage increase in the National Capital Region (NCR) is paltry, said the group. It does little to make up for the burdensome impact inflation has on chronically insufficient nominal wages in the region, and barely helps Filipino families meet their basic needs.

Amid the clamor for a substantial wage hike, IBON noted that the government conveniently timed its approval of a measly wage increase in the NCR to coincide with the administration’s inauguration anniversary. Under Pres. Marcos Jr, the NCR nominal wage was raised by Php40 in 2023 (announced June 29), by Php35 in 2024 (June 30), and by Php50 in 2025 (June 30).

But as with previous increases, the impending Php50 wage hike is far below what’s needed to reach the family living wage in the region. The Php695 nominal minimum wage is not enough to keep up with the high cost of living in the NCR, the group said, falling Php522 short of the Php1,217 required for a family of five’s basic needs.

The Php50 minimum wage hike is also not as large as it seems. The current nominal wage rate of Php645 has a real value of Php520.38 as of May 2025. Once effective on July 18, the new nominal wage of Php695 will translate to a real value of only Php560.72 (using the May 2025 NCR Consumer Price Index). This means that the latest wage hike only increases the real value of the minimum wage by Php40.

IBON said that the Marcos government is using measly wage hikes to project itself as concerned and benevolent, while actually protecting big business profits. The people’s demand for substantial wage hikes is just and urgent and should not be diminished into a mere publicity stunt, said the group.