P55 wage hike in Bicol Region approved –DOLE

The daily wage in the Bicol Region would increase by P55 after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board V (RTWPBs) approved labor groups' wage hike petitions, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said on Monday.

In a statement, DOLE said the wage hike would be implemented in two tranches – P35 upon the effectivity of the wage order and another P20 on December 1, 2022.

This would bring the minimum wage rate in the Bicol Region to P365 for all sectors.

“Also, the Board issued Wage Order No. RBV-DW-02 granting a monthly increase of P1,000 for chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P1,500 for other municipalities, bringing the new monthly wage rate for domestic workers in the region to P4,000,” DOLE said.

“The new Wage Order is expected to protect around 94,042 domestic workers. The previous Wage Order for domestic workers took effect on June 2, 2017,” it added.

The said wage order shall take effect 15 days after publication. The last wage order in the region took effect on September 21, 2018, according to DOLE.

Regional wage boards in the National Capital Region and Western Visayas earlier issued wage increase orders.

For NCR, the minimum wage was increased by P33, while those in Western Visayas would rise by up to P110.

Likewise, the RTWPBs of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, and Caraga had approved increases in the minimum wages of workers in their respective jurisdictions.

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.

For the 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.

For the 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. — DVM, GMA News