New minimum wage rates in W. Visayas takes effect Nov. 19

By Mariela Angella Oladive

A new minimum wage order for Western Visayas will take effect on Nov. 19, 2025, following the approval of Wage Order No. RBVI-29 by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) upon the recommendation of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Region 6.

The new wage order grants an increase ranging from PHP 37 to PHP 40 across the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental, including the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.

For the non-agriculture, industrial, and commercial sectors, establishments employing more than 10 workers will see the daily minimum wage rise from PHP 513 to PHP 550, while those employing 10 or fewer workers will have their rate raised from PHP 485 to PHP 525.

In the agriculture sector, the daily minimum wage will increase from PHP 480 to PHP 520, representing a PHP 40 adjustment.

The board clarified that the approved adjustment for establishments with 10 or fewer workers is PHP 40, not PHP 45, as earlier reported.

For domestic workers (kasambahays), under Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-07, the monthly minimum wage will increase from PHP 6,000 to PHP 6,500.

The new wage order was issued after a series of public consultations conducted by RTWPB-6.

According to the wage board, the adjustment aims to help cushion the impact of rising consumer prices while maintaining a balance between the welfare of workers and the financial capacity of employers in the region.

A cashier in a private establishment in Iloilo City welcomed the increase, saying it would provide at least minimal relief for daily expenses.

However, labor groups criticized the new rates, describing them as insufficient and reflective of the growing disparity between the cost of living and actual wages.

United Labor–Panay, a regional workers’ alliance, condemned the PHP 37–PHP 40 increase, calling it “an insult” to workers and “a cruel reminder of the widening gap between economic growth and workers’ survival.”