DOLE reminds Metro Manila employers on effectivity of minimum wage hike

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) issued a reminder to Metro Manila employers on Monday that the P20 minimum wage hike for workers in the region had taken effect starting last Saturday. In a statement, Labor Sec. Marianito Roque said the effectivity of the wage hike is based on Wage Order No. 14 issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, which approved a P20 per day increase for minimum wage workers in private sector in the region on May 16. Roque said the P20 wage increase consists of P15 increase in the basic pay, and P5 cost-of-living-allowance (COLA) which will be automatically integrated into the basic pay on August 28, 2008. Also, he cited an earlier report of DOLE National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) Executive Director Ciriaco Lagunzad III that all regional wage boards have completed the new wage rounds. Roque said Lagunzad reported that after completing their deliberations, the wage boards in the said regions have granted wage increases to the minimum wage workers in the private sector, as follows: • Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR)- P10 and P15 additional COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 27; • Region I (Ilocos)- P10 COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 29; • Region II (Cagayan Valley)- P12 wage increase was granted by the Regional Board on May 22, along with integration of the P8 COLA under Wage Order (WO) No. RTWPB II-9 into the basic wage upon effectivity of the Order; • Region III (Central Luzon)- P15 increase (P10 in the basic pay and P5 COLA) was granted by the Regional Board on May 21, along with integration of the P9 COLA under WO No. RB III-13 into the basic wage upon effectivity of the Order; • Region IV-A (CALABARZON)- P12 to P20 increase in the basic pay was granted by the Regional Board on May 14; • Region IV-B (MIMAROPA)- P10 wage increase for all sectors, and P5.00 COLA for non-agriculture sector only, was granted by the Regional Board on May 21; • Region V (Bicol)- P13 COLA (P6 to be integrated to the basic wage 6 months after effectivity) was granted by the Regional Board on May 29; • Region VI (Western Visayas)- P15 Emergency Relief Allowance (ERA) was granted by the Regional Board on May 22; • Region VII (Central Visayas)- P17 increase in basic pay was granted by the Regional Board on May 22; • Region VIII (Eastern Visayas)- P10 COLA additional COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 20; • Region IX- (Zamboanga Peninsula)- P5 basic pay and P10 COLA (for a period of three months, thereafter integration of P5 out of the P10 COLA under WO No. IX-14 into the basic pay); • Region X (Northern Mindanao)- P12 COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 14, along • with integration of the P16 COLA under WO No. RX-12 to the basic wage upon effectivity of the Order, and integration of the P10 COLA under WO No. RBX-13 on November 16, 2008; • Region XI (Davao Region)- P15 COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 21, along with integration of the P16 COLA under WO No. RTWPB XI-13 upon effectivity of the Order, and integration of the P10 COLA under WO No. RTWPB XI-14 on September 16, 2008; • Region XII (SOCKSARGEN)- P7 to P10.50 increase in basic pay, and P3 to P5 COLA, was granted by the Regional Board on May 22; Region XIII (CARAGA)- P8 increase in basic pay and P5 additional COLA was granted by the Regional Board on May 28, 2008; and • ARMM- P10 increase in the basic pay. - GMANews.TV