National Wage Board Approves WV Pay Hike

By Mariela Angella Oladive and Juliane Judilla

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) has approved a wage increase for private sector employees and domestic workers in Western Visayas.

Wage Order No. RBVI-28, issued October 22, 2024, grants a daily wage increase of PHP 33 to PHP 40 for private sector employees in the region.

Under the new wage order, workers in the non-agricultural, industrial, and commercial sectors with more than 10 employees will see their daily minimum wage increase from PHP 480 to PHP 513, marking a PHP 33 rise.

For employees in businesses with 10 or fewer workers, the wage will increase by PHP 35, bringing the daily rate from PHP 450 to PHP 485.

In the agriculture sector, the daily wage will increase by PHP 40, moving from PHP 440 to PHP 480.

The wage adjustment follows consultations and public hearings led by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board VI (RTWPB VI), chaired by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) VI Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr., with representatives from the government, management, and labor sectors.

The increase considered criteria under Republic Act No. 6727, the Wage Rationalization Act.

Additionally, the RTWPB has approved a PHP 1,000 monthly increase for domestic workers, raising their minimum monthly salary from PHP 5,000 to PHP 6,000.

The wage order was submitted to the NWPC on October 28 and will be published on November 1, with the increase taking effect on November 17.

Approximately 193,032 minimum wage earners are expected to benefit directly from the wage increase, while around 300,252 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum may see indirect benefits due to enterprise-level wage adjustments to correct for wage distortion.

Additionally, an estimated 160,795 domestic workers, known as kasambahays, will also benefit from the increase.

In an interview, Sheryl Lamis, a private sector worker, expressed relief over the wage hike, saying:

“The wage increase is a blessing. It will greatly help, especially with current commodity prices being so high. I often find myself struggling, as my daily expenses frequently exceed my daily wage, leading me into debt.”

This adjustment comes just a year after the region’s previous wage hike, as the RTWPB VI continues to adjust wages to address the rising cost of living.

Meanwhile, labor group United Labor expressed that the PHP 33 increase remains insufficient to meet workers’ essential needs.

“The United Labor, as a broad alliance of labor groups and unions in the city and province of Iloilo, lobbied the RTWPB for a PHP 150 wage increase based on the daily needs of workers and their families. However, the RTWPB approved an amount far from what we requested,” said Mario Andon of United Labor in an interview with Daily Guardian.

He added, “This proves that the RTWPB is not truly listening to the genuine grievances of the workers, especially as the prices of goods continue to rise due to inflation. They seem to favor the employers more. Therefore, the United Labor calls for a PHP 750 minimum wage for workers.”