New minimum wage takes effect, DOLE-6 urges compliance

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Department of Labor and Employment Region 6 urged employers to strictly implement mandated adjustments as the new minimum wage rates in Western Visayas took effect Wednesday, Nov. 19.

“As the economy grows, every worker in Western Visayas should share in that progress. I appeal to all employers to uphold compliance with the new wage rates as part of our shared responsibility to promote decent work and fair treatment in the labor sector,” DOLE-6 Director Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr., who also chairs the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, said.

Under Wage Order No. RBVI-29, the daily minimum wage for non-agricultural, industrial, and commercial establishments with more than 10 employees rose from PHP 513 to PHP 550, an increase of PHP 37.

Establishments with 10 workers or fewer adjusted wages from PHP 485 to PHP 525, reflecting a PHP 40 increase.

Workers in the agricultural sector also received a PHP 40 daily wage hike, with rates increasing from PHP 480 to PHP 520.

The RTWPB also implemented Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-07, raising the monthly minimum wage of domestic workers from PHP 6,000 to PHP 6,500, or an additional PHP 500.

The new wage orders apply to the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental, including their component cities and the highly urbanized cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.

The adjustments were finalized after a series of public hearings across the region and represent what the board described as a balanced approach that considers both worker welfare and employer capacity.

Rodriguez said the wage order is “just, fair, and responsive.”

Failure to implement the new mandatory rates constitutes a violation of labor laws, and the public may report noncompliant establishments to the nearest DOLE office or through official hotlines for appropriate action.