Ilocos, Cagayan, Caraga wage boards approve minimum wage hikes —DOLE

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Wednesday announced that the regional wage boards of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Caraga have approved increases in the minimum wages of workers in their respective jurisdictions.

In a statement, the DOLE said the respective Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs) of Regions I, II, and XII issued orders hiking the minimum wages in their areas.

For the Ilocos Region, the DOLE said the RTWPB I issued Wage Order No. RB1-21 on May 16 providing wage increases ranging from P60 to P90 in two to three tranches.

“After full implementation of the tranches, the minimum wage rate in the region will range from P372 to P400 from P282 to P340 under the previous Wage Order,” the DOLE said.

Likewise, the Ilocos wage board granted P500 and P1,500 monthly wage increases for domestic workers in cities and first-class municipalities and for other municipalities, respectively, which brought the new monthly wage rate to P5,000.

On the other hand, the DOLE said for Cagayan Valley Region, the RTWPB II issued Wage Order No. RTWPB-02-21 on May 17, “granting wage increases ranging from P50 to P75 in two to three tranches.”

“After full implementation of the tranches, the minimum wage rate in the region will range from P400 to P420 from P345 to P370 in the previous Wage Order,” the Labor department said.

Meanwhile, for Caraga Region, the RTWPB XIII issued Wage Order No. RXIII-17 also on May 17, which integrated the P15 COLA or cost of living allowance to the P305 basic salary under the previous Wage Order and granted a P30-wage increase bringing the new daily minimum wage rate in the region to P350.

“The new daily minimum wage rate of P350 shall take effect upon the effectivity of the Wage Order for private establishments and their workers in Butuan City and the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur,” the DOLE said.

“However, for private establishments and their workers in the provinces of Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, including Siargao Islands, the wage increase of P20 shall take effect upon the effectivity of the Wage Order and another P10 shall take effect on September 1, 2022,” it added.

The DOLE said the latest batch of wage orders will be submitted to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) for review and shall take effect fifteen days after publication in a newspaper of regional circulation.

The agency, however, said that under the Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Determination, retail/service establishments regularly employing not more than ten workers and establishments affected by natural calamities and/or human-induced disasters, including the pandemic, may apply for exemption from compliance with the issued Wage Orders.

Meanwhile, the recently approved minimum wage hikes for workers in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Western Visayas shall take effect on June 4 and 5, respectively, “after their separate wage orders were affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission on Tuesday,” the DOLE said.

The NWPC is chaired by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

On Saturday, the DOLE announced that the minimum wage of workers in NCR will increase by P33 while those in Western Visayas will be up to P110.

Bello, on Sunday, said he expects other regional wage boards to issue orders for a minimum wage increase in the coming weeks.

The Labor chief earlier ordered RTWPBs across the country to review minimum wages.

Bello had said the current P537 daily minimum wage in the NCR may no longer be enough to cover commodities such as food, electricity, and water bills.

There were 10 wage hike petitions filed with six regional wage boards involving the NCR, Regions 3, 4A, 6, 7, and 8.—AOL, GMA News