Eastern Visayas minimum wages set to increase —DOLE

Minimum-wage workers in the Eastern Visayas region shall expect an increase in their daily pay, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced Saturday.

In a statement, the DOLE said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) VIII issued Wage Order No. RBVIII-22.

The decision granted a P50 wage increase coming in tranches of P25 upon effectivity of the wage order and another P25 on January 2, 2023.

“After full implementation of wage tranches, workers in the non-agriculture sector and in retail and service establishments employing 11 or more workers will receive a daily wage of P375,” the Labor Department said.

“Meanwhile, workers in the agriculture sector, cottage and handicraft, and retail and service establishments employing 10 workers or less will receive a daily wage of P345,” it added.

Likewise, the regional VIII’s wage board issued another order granting a P500 wage increase for domestic workers, bringing the new minimum monthly wage rate for kasambahay in Eastern Visayas to P5,000 for chartered cities and first-class municipalities and P4,500 for other municipalities.

“Around 82,712 workers in private establishments and 57,081 kasambahays are expected to benefit from the minimum wage increases. The previous Wage Orders for workers in private establishments and for kasambahays took effect on August 18, 2019 and January 1, 2020, respectively,” the DOLE said.

Meanwhile, the RTWPB XIII or issued Wage Order No. RXIII-DW-03 granted P500 and P1000 wage increases bringing the new monthly wage rate for kasambahays in Caraga to P4,000.

“Around 32,867 domestic workers in the region are expected to benefit from the minimum wage increase. The previous Wage Order for kasambahays took effect on October 4, 2019,” the DOLE said.

According to the Labor Department, the latest wage orders were reviewed and affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Commission.

“They will take effect after 15 days from their publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the region,” it said. —LBG, GMA News