A top official of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has urged lawmakers to refrain from legislating wage hikes that are unfair to employers and detrimental to the economy, his aspiration as the year 2026 sets in.

“We (also) urge legislators to pause indefinitely from passing laws mandating unreasonable, unaffordable and job-damaging wage increases,” said Edgardo Lacson, chairman of the Board of ECOP, when asked by DAILY TRIBUNE for his New Year’s wish on Saturday.

Last June 2025, the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading a measure seeking a P200 across-the-board minimum wage hike for workers in the private sector amid deep concerns over its potential inflationary effects and adverse impact on small businesses.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., however, backpedaled and said he would carefully study the potential economic implications of the proposal to ensure that any decision made would strike a balance between the welfare of workers and the sustainability of businesses.

But in July, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, through Wage Order No. 26, stepped in and gave a P50 wage increase in the National Capital Region (NCR) that started on 18 July 2025, making the daily minimum wage, to date, P695 from the previous minimum wage rate of P645, to the dismay of most labor groups.

Hoping for more breaks, equality

Lacson further hoped that in the year ahead, employers look to a world of work founded on dignity, fairness, safety, and opportunity.

“ECOP reaffirms its advocacy for inclusive growth, humane productivity, and responsible innovation, guided by shared responsibility among employers, workers, and government. We hope that employers and workers move forward together, not as adversaries but partners toward sustainable prosperity for labor, capital, and enterprise. Finally, may industrial peace prevail in 2026 and beyond,” according to Lacson.

Meanwhile, fellow ECOP official, President Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr., has called on the government to conduct a swift and credible probe into corruption issues that have been smearing the country’s reputation in the global investment arena.

In a radio interview on Saturday, Ortiz-Luis Jr. said investors’ confidence could only be restored if the public sees decisive action against those responsible, including alleged masterminds, not just minor offenders.

He said closure of corruption cases must be clear and timely, warning that prolonged and expanded controversies could further weaken confidence in the government’s ability to resolve the issue in the short to medium term.

As of September 2025, foreign direct investments into the Philippines plunged to a five-year low, falling 25.8 percent to $320 million in September from $432 million in the same month last year, the latest report from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.

The numbers marked the weakest level since the $314-million figure in April 2020 or during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Board of Investments (BoI), the country’s premier investment promotion agency, meanwhile reported that it had already breached the P1 trillion investment approvals, falling short of its P1.75 trillion targets for this year.

The BoI said its management committee last 23 December 2025 endorsed a combined investment value of P124.81 billion of investments, expected to generate 4,444 jobs nationwide, subject to confirmation by the BoI Board.