Pay raise for Western Visayas workers, kasambahays starts Nov. 19

ILOILO CITY — An estimated 214,757 minimum wage earners in Western Visayas will receive a daily pay increase of PHP 40 to PHP 45 after the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) affirmed two new wage orders for the region.

The new rates take effect on Nov. 19, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Western Visayas.

DOLE Secretary Francis Tolentino confirmed on Tuesday, Nov. 3, that the NWPC has affirmed Wage Order No. VI-30, which also covers Negros Occidental, including Bacolod City.

The order covers the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, and Iloilo, including their component cities and Iloilo City.

Under the new wage structure, workers in non-agricultural, industrial, and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers will receive a PHP 40 daily increase, raising their minimum wage from PHP 550 to PHP 590.

Those working in establishments with 10 or fewer employees will likewise get a PHP 40 increase, bringing their daily minimum wage from PHP 525 to PHP 565.

Agricultural workers will receive a higher adjustment of PHP 45, raising their daily minimum wage from PHP 520 to PHP 565.

Meanwhile, around 68,000 domestic workers, or kasambahays, will receive an additional PHP 500 in their monthly minimum wage under Wage Order No. VI-DW-08, increasing their monthly pay from PHP 6,500 to PHP 7,000.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-6 (RTWPB-6) approved both wage orders on Oct. 21 before the NWPC reviewed them.

The previous adjustment, Wage Order No. RBVI-29, took effect on Nov. 19, 2025, and raised the daily minimum wage in non-agricultural establishments with more than 10 workers from PHP 513 to PHP 550.

A companion order, RBVI-DW-07, raised the monthly minimum wage of domestic workers from PHP 6,000 to PHP 6,500.

Tolentino said the wage adjustments took into account prevailing economic conditions.

“All factors were considered, including the cost of living, inflation, the peso’s purchasing power, the needs of workers, and the ability of companies to grant wage increases,” Tolentino said in Filipino.

Tolentino urged employers to observe the new minimum wage requirements and reminded workers to remain aware of their rights and benefits under labor laws.

The RTWPB-6 held a series of public hearings across the region, including in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City. The hearings gathered workers, employers, and other stakeholders to assess economic conditions and the concerns of affected sectors.

RTWPB-6 chair Sixto Rodriguez Jr., who is also the DOLE Western Visayas regional director, previously told Daily Guardian that the board sought to balance workers’ need for higher wages with businesses’ capacity to absorb additional labor costs, ensuring that the adjustment would not jeopardize employment.

“We have considered inflation and the peso’s purchasing power. Of course, we have to respect the capacity of employers to pay. The strong basis for issuing this order is that it represents a job-preserving balance tailored to the specific economic conditions of Western Visayas and Negros,” Rodriguez said.

He said the board’s decision was anchored on economic data and inputs gathered from resource persons representing concerned government agencies.