PHILADELPHIA — Jerry Manuel and GM Omar Minaya planned to meet today to make a formal decision, but it appears all but certain Oliver Perez won’t be starting again anytime soon. Not after Perez surrendered four runs on five hits and six walks in a season-low 2 1/3 innings today against the Phillies in what had been labeled a make-or-break start for the struggling lefty.

“His confidence is shot, and very seldom have I seen him in that form or fashion,” Manuel said after his club fell to 10-13 with a 6-5 loss in 10 innings. “It’s a serious struggle that he’s having at this point.”

The Mets strongly indicated that Perez is headed for the bullpen, Triple-A Buffalo or perhaps even lower in their system after this latest debacle.

Perez, who miraculously escaped taking the loss after the Mets fought back to take a 5-4 lead, would have to agree to a trip to the minors because he has more than five years of service time.

But a red-faced Perez, now sporting a 9.97 ERA after landing a three-year, $36 million deal in the offseason, indicated he wouldn’t put up a roadblock to his second demotion since 2006.

“If I need it, then I have to go [to the minors], because right now I don’t help my team,” said Perez, who was similarly demoted by the Pirates after a woeful start three years ago. “Right now, I don’t feel I’m doing my job.”

Manuel indicated after the game that he would even consider having 40-year-old lefty Ken Takahashi take Perez’s rotation spot after the Japanese League product pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit ball today in his Met debut.

Takahashi was a starter in the Japanese League as recently as last season and threw 60 pitches in one relief outing for Buffalo last month.