MANILA — Three regional wage boards, including the Regional Tripartite Productivity and Wages Board-National Capital Region (RTPWB-NCR), issued new wage orders ranging from PHP10 to PHP25 across different sectors in the regions, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Monday.
In a press briefing, DOLE Secretary Silvestre Bello III said minimum wage earners in Metro Manila will receive an additional PHP25, making the minimum salary from PHP512 to PHP537 in the non-agriculture sector.
“Last October 30, the NCR Regional Board approved a PHP25 basic wage increase and integration of its existing PHP10 cost of leaving allowance (COLA). Upon effectively of wage order No. NCR-22, the new minimum wage rates in Metro Manila shall be PHP500 to PHP537 across different sectors,” he said.
Based on the order, the PHP25 salary adjustment also covered those in the retail/service establishments employing 15 workers or less and manufacturing establishments regularly employing less than 10 workers, the new minimum wage rate would be PHP500 from the current PHP475 (+PHP25).
Records showed that so far, the highest wage hike given to workers in Metro Manila was PHP30 in 2012.
Meanwhile, RTEPBs-2 (Cagayan Valley) and 4-B (Mimaropa) also issued new wage orders raising daily minimum wage from PHP10 to PH20.
In Region 2, the Board approved a PHP10 per basic wage increase and PHP10 per day COLA last October 22. Upon the effectivity of wage order RTWPB 02-19, the new daily minimum wage rates will range from PHP320 to PHP360, across different sectors.
For workers in Region 4-B, a PHP12 to PHP20 per day basic wage increase was approved by the Board, bringing the new daily minimum wage to PHP283 to PHP320 across different sectors upon effectivity of wage order RB-Mimaropa-09.
The wage adjustments will be effective 15 days from its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
The DOLE said as of end of October 16 of the 17 Regional Boards have issued new wage orders, granting increases in the current minimum wage rates ranging from PHP9 to PHP56.
Only the Regional Board of Caraga (Region 13) has yet to issue but is expected to come out with one once its current wage order reaches its anniversary date on Dec. 8, 2018. (Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)
