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Board approves new daily minimum wage in W. Visayas

By Perla Lena

October 22, 2019, 8:11 pm

<p><strong>WAGE HIKE.</strong> Workers employed in the private sector in Western Visayas will soon receive an increase in their daily minimum wages. Labor Regional Director Cyril Ticao, in an interview Tuesday (Oct. 22, 2019), said the increase ranges from PHP15 to PHP30 depending on the sector where they are employed. <em>(PNA photo by Perla G. Lena)</em></p>

WAGE HIKE. Workers employed in the private sector in Western Visayas will soon receive an increase in their daily minimum wages. Labor Regional Director Cyril Ticao, in an interview Tuesday (Oct. 22, 2019), said the increase ranges from PHP15 to PHP30 depending on the sector where they are employed. (PNA photo by Perla G. Lena)

ILOILO CITY -- Workers employed in the private sector in Western Visayas can expect an increase in their salaries before the end of the year following the approval of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) of Wage Order 25 hiking the daily minimum wage rate.

Labor and Employment Regional Director Cyril Ticao, in an interview, on Tuesday said the approved wage order will be submitted to the National Wages and Productivity Commission for approval.

Ticao, who also sits as chair of the RTWPB in Western Visayas, said the new daily minimum rate of those employed in non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers will be at PHP395 and PHP310 for those with less than 10 workers. For the non-agriculture, the new daily minimum wage is PHP315.

“It is subject for approval by the commission,” he said, although there was no instance their proposed hike was rejected.

Based on the approved increase, those employed in non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers will have a daily increase of PHP30 and PHP15 for less than 10 workers. For the agriculture sector, the increase is PHP20.

The current wage based on RTWPB No 24 is PHP365 for those employed in non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers and PHP295 for those employing 10 workers and below.

For the agriculture sector, the current daily minimum wage is also PHP295.

To recall, a petition was filed by the New Independent Workers Organization (NIWO) based in Negros Occidental in July this year seeking a PHP60 daily increase for non-agriculture/industrial/commercial with more than 10 workers and PHP50 for those with less than 10 workers and those in the agricultural sector and PHP80 for Boracay island workers.

Following the series of public consultations, Ticao said the board decided to approve a similar rate across the region and no longer have a separate rate for Boracay workers.

Ticao said that all wage orders approved by the RTWPB are above the poverty threshold. The last increase was implemented in 2018.

Meantime, Ticao said that any complaints about non-implementation of the wage order will be entertained by their office. “They can visit our office and we will prioritize them in the inspection,” he said.

The new wage order will take effect 15 days after its publication once approved by the commission. Ticao said they expect it to be approved either last week of October or the first week of November.

The wage order, however, does not cover household workers, persons in the personal service of another and workers of duly registered barangay micro, business enterprises (BMBEs) with a certificate of authority under Republic Act No 9178 or the BMBEs Act of 2002. (PNA)


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