THE Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the order of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to grant wage increases to workers of a beer company owned by business tycoon Lucio Tan. In a decision dated Nov. 28, 2025, the court affirmed the order of Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, dated Feb. 5, 2025, that granted a salary hike increase for Asia Brewery Inc. (ABI) workers. The ABI petitioned for review of the DOLE order, citing financial limitations and arguing that much of its income came from non-core sources. But the appellate court upheld the order, saying the wage increase was supported by sufficient evidence. DOLE had found that ABI was financially able to grant a pay increase, since company records showed steady profits in 2022 and 2023, improved cash flow, lower debts, and growing assets, while wage costs increased only slightly over the years. Laguesma ordered a P25 daily increase for each covered year, or about P652 more per month per worker. The court also stressed that decisions of labor authorities deserve respect when backed by economic data, industry conditions, and workers’ wage history. The labor dispute stemmed from a notice of strike filed by the union, Pag-asa at Ilaw ng mga Manggagawa sa Asia-Independent, after a collective bargaining deadlock. After the conciliation and mediation proceedings before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB) reached an impasse, both parties agreed to submit the issue to voluntary arbitration. They appointed Laguesma as the voluntary arbitrator. He said the Court of Appeal decision affirmed the DOLE’s role in protecting workers’ rights while promoting stable and productive labor-management relations. He said the DOLE continues to promote voluntary arbitration as a key mechanism for settling labor disputes in line with the president’s directive to ensure harmonious workplace relations and boost productivity. As of November 2025, arbitration cases recorded a 76-percent resolution rate, with 1,526 cases disposed of out of 2,011 handled. The arbitration resulted in P4.72 billion in monetary settlements, benefiting 3,050 workers.