If you’re looking for the latest minimum wage rate in NCR (National Capital Region), this page provides the current daily minimum wage, the upcoming increase under Wage Order No. NCR-28, and guidance on how the change affects payroll.
Last Updated: September 2026
Current Minimum Wage Rate in NCR
As of September 2026, the prevailing minimum daily wage in Metro Manila remains:
| Classification | Current Daily Minimum Wage |
|---|---|
| Non-Agriculture | ₱695.00 |
| Agriculture | ₱658.00 |
| Retail and Service Establishments Employing 15 Workers or Less | ₱658.00 |
| Manufacturing Establishments Regularly Employing Fewer than 10 Workers | ₱658.00 |
These are the rates immediately preceding the new increase under Wage Order No. NCR-28.
New Minimum Wage Effective September 26, 2026
Under Wage Order No. NCR-28, the NCR minimum wage will increase by ₱60 per day.
Beginning September 26, 2026, the minimum daily wage will become:
| Classification | Current Rate | Increase | New Minimum Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Agriculture | ₱695 | ₱60 | ₱755 |
| Agriculture | ₱658 | ₱60 | ₱718 |
| Retail and Service Establishments Employing 15 Workers or Less | ₱658 | ₱60 | ₱718 |
| Manufacturing Establishments Regularly Employing Fewer than 10 Workers | ₱658 | ₱60 | ₱718 |
Employers should therefore update their payroll rates beginning with work performed on September 26, 2026.
What Happened to Wage Order NCR-27?
The NCR minimum wage situation in 2026 is unusual because another wage increase had already been announced earlier in the year.
Wage Order No. NCR-27 originally granted an ₱85 per day increase, which was scheduled to be implemented in two tranches:
- ₱60 beginning July 25, 2026
- Additional ₱25 beginning January 20, 2027
The first tranche would have increased the non-agriculture minimum wage from ₱695 to ₱755 and the lower minimum wage from ₱658 to ₱718.
However, Wage Order NCR-27 became subject to court injunctions, preventing its implementation.
DOLE subsequently clarified in September 2026 that NCR-27 had yet to be implemented and that, for purposes of the prevailing wage, the applicable non-agriculture minimum wage remained ₱695 under the previous wage order.
Because the legal issues surrounding NCR-27 remain pending, employers should not currently treat its proposed additional ₱25 increase scheduled for January 2027 as an effective future minimum wage rate.
The status of NCR-27 should continue to be monitored for further developments from DOLE, the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), and the courts.
NCR Minimum Wage Timeline
The unusual circumstances surrounding NCR-27 and NCR-28 can make the 2026 wage adjustments confusing. The practical timeline for employers is:
Before September 26, 2026
₱695 – Non-Agriculture
₱658 – Agriculture and Qualified Small Establishments
Wage Order NCR-27
₱85 increase approved in two tranches
₱60 – originally scheduled July 25, 2026
₱25 – originally scheduled January 20, 2027
Implementation became subject to court injunctions
September 26, 2026
Wage Order NCR-28
+₱60 per day
New Minimum Wage
₱755 – Non-Agriculture
₱718 – Agriculture and Qualified Small Establishments
What About Employers Who Already Implemented NCR-27?
Some employers voluntarily implemented the ₱60 increase under NCR-27 despite the court injunction.
If an employer has already increased an employee’s wage to ₱755 or ₱718, the amount already paid should not simply be recovered from the employee because NCR-27 was subsequently prevented from being implemented.
Those employers will also already be paying rates equivalent to the new minimum wage that will become effective under NCR-28.
Employers with unusual circumstances involving previously implemented wage increases should seek appropriate professional or legal advice before making payroll deductions or reducing existing employee compensation.
Monthly Equivalent of the NCR Minimum Wage
Although wage orders are expressed as daily rates, many employers pay employees on a monthly basis.
The estimated monthly salary depends on the company’s payroll policy and working-day factor.
Use the Monthly Wage Calculator below to estimate the monthly equivalent based on:
Minimum Wage Monthly Equivalent Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate the monthly equivalent of a daily minimum wage based on common payroll working-day factors in the Philippines.
Formula: Daily Rate × Working Days Per Year ÷ 12. Actual payroll may vary depending on company policy, work schedule, paid holidays, and applicable labor rules.
What is NCR?
The National Capital Region (NCR), commonly known as Metro Manila, consists of:
- Manila
- Quezon City
- Makati
- Pasig
- Taguig
- Pasay
- Mandaluyong
- Marikina
- Parañaque
- Las Piñas
- Muntinlupa
- Caloocan
- Malabon
- Navotas
- Valenzuela
- San Juan
- Pateros
Employees working within these cities and municipality are generally covered by the applicable NCR wage order unless specific exemptions apply.
Who Is Covered?
The NCR minimum wage generally applies to employees in the private sector working within Metro Manila.
Coverage depends on several factors, including:
- Industry classification
- Type of establishment
- Number of employees
- Existing labor regulations
- Approved exemptions, where applicable
Employers should always refer to the latest wage order and applicable labor regulations when determining employee coverage.
NCR Minimum Wage History
Because NCR-27 was prevented from being implemented, it is useful to distinguish between wage rates that actually became applicable and wage increases that were announced but became subject to litigation.
| Effective Period | Non-Agriculture | Agriculture / Qualified Small Establishments | Wage Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 26, 2026 onward | ₱755 | ₱718 | NCR-28 |
| Before September 26, 2026 | ₱695 | ₱658 | Previous applicable rate |
Wage Order NCR-27: The order provided an ₱85 increase in two tranches but became subject to court injunctions. Its implementation remains dependent on the resolution of the pending legal proceedings.
For this reason, the proposed ₱780 and ₱743 rates under NCR-27 are not presented above as implemented minimum wage rates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum wage in NCR today?
What will the NCR minimum wage be on September 26, 2026?
₱755 – Non-Agriculture
₱718 – Agriculture and qualified small establishments
Is the new ₱60 increase additional to the ₱60 announced in July?
The ₱60 increase under NCR-28 increases the prevailing ₱695 non-agriculture rate to ₱755. It does not increase ₱755 to ₱815.
Did Wage Order NCR-27 take effect?
DOLE subsequently clarified that NCR-27 had not been implemented and that the prevailing non-agriculture minimum wage remained ₱695 before NCR-28.
Will the minimum wage increase by another ₱25 in January 2027?
However, because NCR-27 remains affected by ongoing litigation, employers should not currently assume that ₱780 and ₱743 will automatically become the applicable minimum wage rates in January 2027.
Employers should monitor further announcements from DOLE and NWPC.
Does the minimum wage depend on where the company is registered?
For employees working at a branch or establishment, the applicable minimum wage is generally based on the region where they are stationed, rather than simply where the company is registered or where its head office is located.
For example, a company headquartered in Quezon City with an employee stationed at its Cebu branch would generally apply the minimum wage applicable to that location. Similarly, a company headquartered in Cavite with an employee stationed at its Makati office would generally apply the NCR minimum wage.
Different rules may apply when the employee does not work at a fixed company location:
Mobile employees. For employees who, by the nature of their work, are required to travel, regional wage-order rules generally provide that the applicable minimum wage is based on the domicile or head office of the employer.
Work-from-home or telecommuting employees. The employee’s home address does not necessarily determine the applicable regional minimum wage. Under DOLE’s telecommuting rules, work performed at an alternative workplace, including an employee’s residence, is considered work performed at the employer’s regular workplace. The employee’s regular workplace or branch assignment should therefore be considered rather than simply using the physical location of the employee’s home.
Employers should also consider the applicable regional wage order and the employee’s actual work arrangement, particularly for employees who are transferred between regions or do not have a clearly established regular workplace.
References and Further Reading
For more information, see the applicable Regional Wage Order and its implementing rules issued through the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), as well as DOLE Department Order No. 237-22, the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Telecommuting Act.
Can employees of the same company have different minimum wage rates?
Companies operating in multiple regions may need to apply different regional minimum wage rates depending on where each employee is assigned to work.
For example, a company with offices in Metro Manila, Laguna, and Cebu may have employees covered by different regional wage orders even though they work for the same employer.
MPM Payroll supports assigning a work region to each employee, making it easier to apply the appropriate regional minimum wage across multiple branches and locations.
Does the wage increase affect monthly-paid employees?
Even when employees are paid monthly, employers should ensure that their compensation remains compliant with the applicable minimum wage and that payroll computations using the daily rate are updated accordingly.
Does the increase affect overtime and holiday pay?
Since overtime pay, holiday pay, night shift differential, and several other payroll computations are based on the employee’s daily or hourly wage, employers should review these computations after implementing the new wage order.
Staying Updated With Minimum Wage Changes
The events surrounding NCR-27 and NCR-28 demonstrate why employers should verify the actual implementation and effective date of a wage order rather than relying only on the date an increase was initially announced.
A wage adjustment can affect more than an employee’s basic salary. Employers may also need to update overtime, holiday pay, rest day premiums, night shift differential, and other payroll computations.
Businesses should likewise continue monitoring statutory changes involving SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-IBIG, BIR withholding tax, holidays, and other payroll regulations.
How MPM Payroll Helps
MPM Payroll is designed for Philippine businesses that need to manage payroll requirements across different regions and employee work locations.
The system supports:
- Regional minimum wage management
- Employee work-region assignment
- Automated payroll computation
- Overtime and premium pay computation
- Government contribution computation
- BIR withholding tax computation
- Time and attendance integration
- Employee self-service
- Statutory payroll reports
When minimum wage rates change, the applicable regional rates can be updated without requiring employers to manually rebuild payroll formulas.
For companies operating in several locations, employees can be assigned to their appropriate work region so that payroll can account for different regional wage requirements.
Start your free trial today to see how MPM Payroll can simplify payroll processing for your organization.
Note: Wage regulations can change, and the unusual legal situation involving NCR-27 remains unresolved. This article will be updated as new official guidance becomes available. The information provided here is for general guidance and does not substitute for professional or legal advice.
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