By Erwin Nicavera/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — Employers in the sugar industry enterprises in Western Visayas were urged to pay their workers the PHP5 daily cost of living allowance (COLA) starting January 17.
Labor sector representative Wennie Sancho made the call on Thursday after the effectivity of the allowance was tackled by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB)-6 (Western Visayas) in its earlier meeting in Iloilo City.
“They have to faithfully pay it. It’s just a small amount,” he said.
Sancho said the living allowance would help minimum wage earners in Region 6 cope with the rising cost of petroleum products, which also leads to the increase in the prices of basic goods.
“It (PHP5 COLA) is one of the new provisions of the latest wage order,” he added.
Wage Order No. 24, which was approved by the RTWPB-6 in June last year, provides that such allowance will take effect six months after the wage increase became effective in July 16, 2018.
Sancho said the Department of Labor and Employment-6 headed by Regional Director Cyril Ticao is expected to issue an advisory on the effectivity of the PHP5 living allowance.
Wage Order 24, which mandated an increase of PHP13.50 to PHP41.50 in the daily minimum wage in Region 6, provides for the said COLA among workers of sugar industry enterprises in the agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors.
The current minimum wage in Western Visayas, including the living allowance, is pegged at PHP295 and PHP365 per day.
Another provision includes the effectivity of the wage increase on Boracay Island starting January 27.
The island-resort was closed for six months from April to October last year. As part of the moratorium, the new wage increase will take effect only three months after the re-opening of the island.
Considering that business operations in the entire Aklan were also affected, the wage increase took effect in other areas of the province only last November 2018.
