PAY HIKE: New minimum wages in WV to take effect November

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

PRIVATE sector workers in Western Visayas will receive before the year ends increases on their salaries with the new minimum daily wage hike approved by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB).

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-6 Regional Director Cyril Ticao confirmed on Tuesday that Wage Order 25 will be submitted to the National Wages and Productivity Commission for approval.

“Padala pa ni sa Manila for approval sang National Wages and Productivity Commission. After that i-publish for 15 days so possibly last week of October or first week of November mag-take effect ang wage order,” Ticao said in an interview on Tuesday.

According to Ticao, the daily minimum rate of workers employed in non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers is set at P395, up by P30 from P365. Firms with 10 workers and less will increase daily wages from P295 to P310.

For the agriculture sector, the new daily minimum wage is at P315 from the current P295, based on the wage order.

Ticao said that the board conducted public hearings on the petition filed by the New Independent Workers Organization (NIWO) based in Negros Occidental this July.

The original petition sought a P60 increase for non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers and P50 for firms with 10 workers and in the agricultural sector.

The original proposal for Boracay island workers was an P80 hike.

The last time Western Visayas imposed a daily wage hike was in 2018.

“Last year, may increase. After one year may nagfile naman sang petition amo na enacted. Above man ta sa poverty threshold and ang oil daw indi man gid tam-an ka increase, amo man gihapon,” Ticao said.