By Sarwell Meniano/Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWP) has granted a PHP20 daily minimum wage hike to more than three million workers in the private sector in Eastern Visayas, an official announced on Wednesday.
In a press briefing, RTWPB chairman Yahya Centi said they expect Wage Order No. 21 to be effective by mid-August after the body submits the document for confirmation to the National Wages and Productivity Commission on Tuesday.
The increase will be implemented in two tranches – PHP10 for the six months upon the effectivity of the new wage order and additional PHP10 after seven months.
From a minimum daily pay of PHP305 under the old wage order, workers in the non-agriculture sector including sugar mills are entitled to a PHP325 daily wage under the new order, said Centi, the director of the Department of Labor and Employment regional office here.
The board ruled to increase the pay for those employed in the retail services (with 11 up to 30 workers) to PHP325 from PHP305. For workers in smaller retail businesses (with 10 employees and below), the new minimum daily pay is PHP295.
Those employers in cottage and handicraft industries will receive a daily pay of PHP295.
Workers in the farming sector, the lowest income earners covered by the old directive, got a daily pay of PHP295 under Wage Order No. 21.
“The increase will be implemented in two tranches as we considered the socio-economic indicators in the region and the capacity of the employers and other indicators that we have studied,” Centi told reporters.
The RTWPB issued the new order after consultations in Ormoc City for the Western Leyte area, Maasin City for Southern Leyte province, Naval for Biliran province, Calbayog City for Samar province, Catarman, for Northern Samar province, Borongan City for Eastern Samar area, and Tacloban City for Leyte province.
Centi added that the board initiated the wage review in different areas by “motu proprio” (on its own) starting April 2019 since there was no petition from workers to adjust the daily compensation.
Under the law, the wage body is mandated to review the wage order one year after it took effect. Wage Order 20 has been implemented since June 25, 2018.
Wage Order 20, signed on May 7, 2018, and took effect on June 25 the same year, raised the daily pay of minimum wage earners in Eastern Visayas from PHP20 to PHP30. The adjustments vary depending on the nature of the industry and the number of workers.
The regional board in Eastern Visayas is a tripartite body composed of six members — three representatives from the government, two from the workers’ sector and one from the employers’ sector.
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