Eastern Visayas workers to get P30 daily wage hike in 2 tranches
TACLOBAN CITY—The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Eastern Visayas (RTWPB-8) has approved a P30 increase in the daily minimum wage of workers in the region following extensive consultations and public hearings.
Wage Order No. 24, which was issued on Nov. 5, introduced the wage increase in two phases.
The first phase, which grants a P15 daily increase, will take effect in Dec. 2. The second phase, also amounting to P15 per day, will be implemented starting June 1, 2025.
With this adjustment, the new daily minimum wage for workers in the nonagriculture sector and service retail establishments employing 11 or more workers will increase from P405 to P435.
For cottage industry workers and service retail establishments with less than 11 employees, the minimum wage will rise from P375 to P405.
Coping mechanism
In a statement, the RTWPB-8 stressed that the wage increase is intended to help workers cope with rising living costs while maintaining the viability of businesses in the region.
The RTWPB emphasized that the wage review process included extensive consultations held across Eastern Visayas—in Catbalogan City, Samar; Ormoc City, Leyte; Maasin City, Southern Leyte; and Catarman, Northern Samar from Sept. 5 to Sept. 26, 2024.
These meetings were aimed to ensure comprehensive representation from various stakeholders, including employers, employees, local government officials and other concerned parties.
A public hearing last Oct. 21 in Tacloban City allowed further engagement, evidence presentation and testimonies to support the need for wage adjustments, the board said.
Factors
Several factors were taken into account in approving the wage increase, including the region’s Consumer Price Index and inflation rate, which averaged 3.6 percent from November 2023 to September 2024.
The Philippine Statistics Authority also reported a poverty threshold of P444 per day for a family of five in 2023, while the gross regional domestic product grew by 6.4% in 2022 to 2023.
The new wage order will be effective 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation, likely by mid-November 2024.
It will apply to all minimum wage earners in the private sector, regardless of their position, designation or payment method.
Employers who fail to comply with the mandated increase may face penalties under the provisions of Republic Act No. 6727 or the Wage Rationalization Act as amended by RA 8188.
