Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III denied yesterday speculations that the National Wage and Productivity Commission (NWPC) had already approved a P25 a day increase for minimum wage earners in Metro Manila.

Bello pointed out that the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board has yet to submit its recommendation on the wage adjustment thus there can be no truth to the P25/day figure being floated.

“The NWPC can either approve or disapprove a recommendation by the regional wage board although more or less they are likely to approve it,” said Bello.

A labor group expressed suspicion an employers’ group is behind the claimed wage increase.