Is there one national minimum wage in the Philippines?

No. The Philippines has no single national minimum wage. Each of the 17 regions sets its own daily minimum through its Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), so the rate differs by region and by industry.

What is the minimum wage in Metro Manila (NCR)?

In the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), the minimum wage is ₱695 per day for non-agriculture and ₱658 per day for agriculture and for small retail and service establishments, under Wage Order No. NCR-26, effective July 18, 2025 and current through 2026.

How do I find the minimum wage for my region?

Check the current wage order for your region on the National Wages and Productivity Commission website at nwpc.dole.gov.ph. Rates outside the National Capital Region differ and change through separate regional wage orders.

What is the monthly equivalent of the NCR minimum wage?

The NCR non-agriculture minimum wage of ₱695 per day is roughly ₱18,070 per month, using about 26 paid days. The exact monthly figure depends on your pay scheme, rest days, and how unworked days are treated.

Are minimum-wage earners exempt from income tax?

Yes. Statutory minimum-wage earners are exempt from income tax on their minimum-wage pay, along with holiday pay, overtime pay, night-shift differential, and hazard pay, under the TRAIN law (Republic Act 10963).

Does the minimum wage change every year?

Not on a fixed schedule. Each Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board reviews and adjusts its wage order when conditions warrant, so always confirm the current rate for your region before relying on it.

Which region has the highest minimum wage, and which has the lowest?

The National Capital Region (Metro Manila) has the highest daily minimum wage at ₱695 for non-agriculture, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has the lowest, roughly ₱366 to ₱411 per day depending on sector. All other regions fall between these two.

Can an employer pay below the regional minimum wage?

No, except under specific, board-approved arrangements. Paying below the applicable wage order is a labor-standards violation and can expose the employer to a wage-differential claim plus penalties. Limited exemptions (for example, for distressed establishments or certain learners and apprentices) exist only when expressly granted under the wage order and the law.

Minimum Wage in the Philippines 2026 (by Region)

The Philippines has no single national minimum wage; each region sets its own. In Metro Manila (NCR) it is ₱695 per day for non-agriculture.

By the Orkids payroll engineering teamReviewed against DOLE/NWPC regional wage ordersUpdated June 2026

Is there one national minimum wage?

No. There is no single national minimum wage in the Philippines — the rate is set region by region, and within a region it can differ by industry and establishment size.

Each of the country's 17 administrative regions, including the National Capital Region (NCR, or Metro Manila), has its own daily minimum wage fixed by a separate wage order. That is why the figure that applies to you depends on where you work and what kind of establishment employs you, not on a single countrywide number. The figures on this page cover only the NCR; for any other region you must check that region's current wage order. As of June 2026, verify the current figure with the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

Minimum wage by region (2026)

Each region sets its own daily minimum wage by wage order. NCR is the highest; BARMM the lowest.

Daily minimum wage by region, Philippines 2026 (non-agriculture)
Region	Daily minimum (non-agri)	Note
National Capital Region (Metro Manila)	₱695	Highest — Wage Order NCR-26 (effective July 18, 2025). A ₱658 tier applies to retail/service with 15 or fewer workers and manufacturing with under 10 workers.
CALABARZON (Region IV-A)	up to ₱600	Wage Order IVA-22; phased in tranches through April 2026; varies by province.
Central Luzon (Region III)	up to ₱600	Wage Order RBIII-26; phased in two tranches; varies by area and sector.
BARMM (Bangsamoro)	₱366–₱411	Lowest — Wage Order BARMM-04 (effective July 17, 2025); varies by sector and area.

Rates as of June 2026 from current regional wage orders and the NWPC summary. Confirm the exact rate for your region, sector, and establishment size at nwpc.dole.gov.ph before relying on it.

Who sets the minimum wage?

Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) set minimum wages region by region, under the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Each RTWPB is "tripartite" — it brings together representatives of government, employers, and workers — and issues a wage order for its region under Republic Act 6727, the Wage Rationalization Act. The NWPC coordinates and reviews these boards but does not impose one national rate. When economic conditions warrant, a board reviews and revises its wage order, which is how rates change. Always confirm the current figure for your region with the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

What is the current minimum wage in Metro Manila (NCR)?

In the National Capital Region, the minimum wage is ₱695 per day for non-agriculture and ₱658 per day for agriculture and for small retail, service, and manufacturing establishments.

These rates come from Wage Order No. NCR-26, effective July 18, 2025 and current through 2026. The ₱658 rate applies to agriculture, to retail and service establishments with 15 or fewer workers, and to manufacturing establishments with fewer than 10 workers. As of June 2026, verify the current figure with the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

NCR (Metro Manila) daily minimum wage under Wage Order No. NCR-26
Sector	Daily minimum wage	Who it covers
Non-agriculture	₱695 / day	Most NCR private-sector employees outside the sectors below
Agriculture, small retail / service / manufacturing	₱658 / day	Agriculture; retail/service with 15 or fewer workers; manufacturing with fewer than 10 workers

Source: Wage Order No. NCR-26, effective July 18, 2025, current through 2026. As of June 2026.

What is the monthly equivalent?

The NCR non-agriculture rate of ₱695 per day is roughly ₱18,070 per month, using about 26 paid days.

Minimum wage in the Philippines is set as a daily rate, so the monthly figure is an estimate, not a fixed legal amount. The ₱18,070 estimate is the daily rate multiplied by about 26 days; the true monthly equivalent varies with your pay scheme, the number of rest days, and how unworked days and holidays are treated. Use the daily rate for any precise computation.

Are minimum-wage earners taxed?

No. Statutory minimum-wage earners are exempt from income tax on their minimum-wage pay under the TRAIN law (Republic Act 10963).

The exemption also covers their holiday pay, overtime pay, night-shift differential, and hazard pay. This means a worker paid exactly the regional minimum wage owes no income tax on that pay and has no income tax withheld on it. As of June 2026, verify the current rule with the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

Where do I check the rate for my region?

Check the current wage order for your region on the National Wages and Productivity Commission website.

Only the NCR rates above are stated here; rates for the other 16 regions differ and are published in their own wage orders. To find the figure that applies to you, visit nwpc.dole.gov.ph and open the latest wage order for your region.

Minimum wage in the Philippines — frequently asked questions

Is there one national minimum wage in the Philippines?: No. The Philippines has no single national minimum wage. Each of the 17 regions sets its own daily minimum through its Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), so the rate differs by region and by industry.
What is the minimum wage in Metro Manila (NCR)?: In the National Capital Region (Metro Manila), the minimum wage is ₱695 per day for non-agriculture and ₱658 per day for agriculture and for small retail and service establishments, under Wage Order No. NCR-26, effective July 18, 2025 and current through 2026.
Who sets the minimum wage in the Philippines?: Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) set minimum wages region by region, under the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). Each board issues a wage order for its region.
How do I find the minimum wage for my region?: Check the current wage order for your region on the National Wages and Productivity Commission website at nwpc.dole.gov.ph. Rates outside the National Capital Region differ and change through separate regional wage orders.
What is the monthly equivalent of the NCR minimum wage?: The NCR non-agriculture minimum wage of ₱695 per day is roughly ₱18,070 per month, using about 26 paid days. The exact monthly figure depends on your pay scheme, rest days, and how unworked days are treated.
Are minimum-wage earners exempt from income tax?: Yes. Statutory minimum-wage earners are exempt from income tax on their minimum-wage pay, along with holiday pay, overtime pay, night-shift differential, and hazard pay, under the TRAIN law (Republic Act 10963).
Does the minimum wage change every year?: Not on a fixed schedule. Each Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board reviews and adjusts its wage order when conditions warrant, so always confirm the current rate for your region before relying on it.
Which region has the highest minimum wage, and which has the lowest?: The National Capital Region (Metro Manila) has the highest daily minimum wage at ₱695 for non-agriculture, while the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has the lowest, roughly ₱366 to ₱411 per day depending on sector. All other regions fall between these two.
Can an employer pay below the regional minimum wage?: No, except under specific, board-approved arrangements. Paying below the applicable wage order is a labor-standards violation and can expose the employer to a wage-differential claim plus penalties. Limited exemptions (for example, for distressed establishments or certain learners and apprentices) exist only when expressly granted under the wage order and the law.

Key terms

Wage order.: The issuance by a regional board that sets the minimum daily wage for that region; it carries a number (for example, Wage Order No. NCR-26) and an effective date.
RTWPB.: Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board — the body in each region that fixes its minimum wage by issuing a wage order, under Republic Act 6727.
NWPC.: National Wages and Productivity Commission — the DOLE body that coordinates the regional boards and publishes the summary of current rates, but does not set one national wage.
Statutory minimum-wage earner (SMW).: A worker paid no more than the applicable regional minimum wage; SMWs are exempt from income tax on that pay under the TRAIN law (RA 10963).
Tranche.: A scheduled instalment of a wage increase; some regions raise the minimum wage in two steps with separate effective dates rather than all at once.
COLA.: Cost-of-living allowance — an amount a wage order may grant on top of, or as part of, the basic minimum wage; whether it is integrated into the basic rate depends on the order.

Sources

Wage Order No. NCR-26 (effective July 18, 2025, current through 2026) — NCR daily minimum wage rates.
Republic Act 6727 (Wage Rationalization Act) — legal basis for the RTWPB / NWPC wage-setting framework.
Republic Act 10963 (TRAIN law) — income-tax exemption for statutory minimum-wage earners.
National Wages and Productivity Commission (nwpc.dole.gov.ph) — current minimum wage orders for all regions.
Figures are as of June 2026 for the NCR only. Verify the current figure for your region with the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) of DOLE.

Last reviewed: June 2026

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Minimum wage in the Philippines.

Minimum wage in the Philippines is set per region, not as one national figure. See the current Metro Manila rate, who sets it, and where to check your region.