Benefits for government workers were at the forefront of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s labor-related promises during his third State of the Nation Address last year. Citing the need to cope with inflation and maintain a competitive workforce, Marcos announced a wage hike and additional allowance for state employees.
In August 2024, the president issued Executive Order No. 64 mandating four tranches of salary increases for government workers in the executive, legislative, judiciary and constitutional commissions set to be completed by 2027. The Department of Budget and Management has so far allocated P106 billion for the first two phases of the wage hike in 2024 and 2025.
Under EO 64, civilian government staff will also receive up to P7,000 in medical allowances starting 2025. DBM has allocated P9.5 billion for the program this year.
In contrast, the government has struggled to keep up with its promise to find new jobs for displaced Filipinos employed by Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators after a total ban of the industry last year.
The Department of Labor and Employment reported that only 302 out of over 40,000 ex-POGO workers have found new jobs from five career fairs it hosted since October.
Midway through its term, the Marcos administration still lags in addressing joblessness in the country.
In May 2022, a month before Marcos took office, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded over 2.93 million unemployed Filipinos. That figure has gone down year-on-year since then, with the PSA reporting 2.03 million jobless individuals in May 2025.
However, efforts to reduce underemployment — when employed persons seek additional hours of work or look for additional jobs — have faced a setback. From 6.67 million in May 2022, the number of underemployed individuals steadily declined, reaching a low of 4.82 million in May 2024. But this year, it rose to 6.6 million.
Meanwhile, of Marcos’ three commitments to migrant workers, one has been fulfilled, one still in progress and one is stalled.
Here’s how Marcos fared in his labor-related SONA promises:
