FACULTY UNIONS of private universities have opposed the newly approved one-time P60 wage increase in Metro Manila, saying it would leave workers with a smaller increase than the previous P85 wage hike.
The Council of Teachers and Staff of Colleges and Universities of the Philippines (CoTeSCUP) said Wage Order No. 28 deprives employees of the remaining P25 tranche of the wage hike set for release on Jan. 20 under Wage Order No. 27.
“At a time when tuition fees and the prices of basic necessities continue to rise, it is unacceptable that the previously granted total P85 wage increase for minimum-wage earners in the NCR is now being reduced to P60,” the group said in a statement on Wednesday, Sept. 9.
“For the private education sector, this directly affects minimum-wage earners, including eligible non-teaching and support personnel in private colleges and universities,” it added.
CoTeSCUP also questioned the status of Wage Order No. 27, saying that issues surrounding its validity and implementation remain unsettled. For the group, Wage Order No. 28 should not proceed while concerns regarding the previous wage order remain unresolved.
Under Wage Order No. 27, workers in Metro Manila were set to receive a P60 wage increase starting July 25, 2026, followed by an additional P25 on Jan. 20, 2027.
However, the wage order’s full implementation was halted after the Pasig Regional Trial Court issued a temporary restraining order on July 30. It stemmed from a petition filed by two companies over labor-cost concerns.
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According to the coalition, replacing Wage Order No. 27 with the new order would effectively remove the additional P25 increase scheduled for next year.
CoTeSCUP called for the full implementation of Wage Order No. 27, saying that previously granted wage benefits should not be revoked or reduced by a subsequent wage order.
“Wage Order No. 28 must not be used to erase benefits that had already been granted to workers or to move forward the date from which they should have begun receiving their wage increase. CoTeSCUP calls for the full implementation of Wage Order No. 27 and the protection of all rights and benefits granted under it,” the statement read.
The coalition also said it would pursue appropriate actions to challenge Wage Order No. 28, hold the agencies involved accountable and push for what it described as “fair and meaningful wages” for workers in private education. F
