What is the minimum wage in the Philippines?
Last updated: 2026-07-11 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
There is no single nationwide minimum wage. Under RA 6727 (the Wage Rationalization Act), the minimum wage is set REGION BY REGION by each Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) through Wage Orders, and rates differ by region and often by sector (non-agriculture, agriculture, and sometimes small retail/service). Because these figures change whenever a new Wage Order takes effect, check the current Wage Order for YOUR region — published by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) and your RTWPB — rather than relying on a fixed number. Paying below the applicable regional minimum wage is unlawful, and the shortfall is a recoverable wage differential.
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Frequently asked
Why isn't there one national minimum wage?
RA 6727 decentralized wage-fixing to Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards so that the minimum wage reflects each region's cost of living and economic conditions. That is why NCR, the Visayas, and Mindanao regions can each have different rates.
Where do I find my region's current rate?
Check the latest Wage Order for your region on the NWPC website (nwpc.dole.gov.ph) or with your RTWPB / DOLE Regional Office. The Wage Order states the effective date and the rates per sector.
What if I'm being paid below the minimum wage?
Underpayment below the applicable regional minimum is unlawful. The difference (a wage differential) is a money claim you can recover through DOLE (SEnA first) or the NLRC; it generally prescribes in three years under Article 306.
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Boses ng kumakayod — your everyday rights as a Filipino worker on pay and dismissal: when your final/back pay must be released (DOLE Labor Advisory 06-20 — within 30 days of separation), 13th-month pay (PD 851 — 1/12 of your basic salary, on or before December 24), legal vs illegal salary deductions, unpaid wages and overtime, the twin-notice due-process rule before you can be dismissed, just causes vs authorized causes, separation pay, your Certificate of Employment (within 3 days of request), resignation notice, the regional minimum wage set by your RTWPB, and how to file with DOLE (SEnA conciliation first) or the NLRC.