OpenPinas: Weekly Review

DOLE announced an ₱85 daily minimum-wage increase for Metro Manila workers on June 30, to be delivered in two tranches. Contemporary reporting described an initial ₱60 adjustment followed by another ₱25 in January 2027. The staged increase promised relief for eligible workers, but households could not count on receiving the entire increase immediately.

The World Bank’s annual classification moved the Philippines into the upper-middle-income group, with the government welcoming the change on July 2. The classification reflects national income per person, rather than a guarantee that individual households have become middle class. The milestone sharpened the question of how economic gains translate into jobs and family purchasing power.

Marcos and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney met in Vancouver on July 2 and agreed to elevate relations to a strategic partnership. They prioritized cooperation in trade, energy and security and sought to conclude a bilateral free-trade agreement. The visit placed the large Filipino Canadian community within a broader diplomatic agenda, while trade negotiations remained unfinished.

The Ombudsman filed plunder and related charges against Senator Rodante Marcoleta on July 3 over ₱75 million in allegedly undeclared campaign contributions. Marcoleta disputed the accusations; prosecutors’ filing placed the allegations before the Sandiganbayan. The case brought campaign-finance disclosure and official accountability into focus ahead of the Senate’s impeachment proceedings.

The Senate impeachment court issued a July 2 notice directing Sara Duterte to appear in person or through counsel for the July 6 opening. The notice followed completion of pre-trial preparations and specified a 2 p.m. start. For viewers overseas, the development supplied a formal date to follow while leaving the merits of the case to the hearings.