Higher Minimum Wage OK’d In Metro Manila, Western Visayas

Regional wage boards have separately approved increases in the minimum salary of workers in Metro Manila and Western Visayas.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) for the National Capital Region (NCR) granted a daily wage increase of P33 for workers in Metro Manila.

Wage Order No. NCR-23 issued on May 13 brings the minimum wage to P570 for workers in the non-agriculture sector and P533 for agriculture workers.

“It is expected to protect around one million minimum wage earners in private establishments in the region from undue low pay,” the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said in a statement.

The rate of the adjustment took into consideration “the restoration of the purchasing power of minimum wage earners because of the escalating prices of basic goods, commodities and petroleum products,” the DOLE said.

The last time a wage order was issued for NCR workers in private establishments was on Nov. 22, 2018.

On the other hand, the RTWPB for Western Visayas (Region 6) issued Wage Order No. RBVI-26, which increased the daily wage of workers in non-agriculture, industrial and commercial establishments by P55 and P110.This brings the daily minimum wage in the region from P395 to P450 (P55 increase) for those employing more than 10 workers; and from P310 to P420 (P110 increase) for those employing 10 workers or less.

The order also grants a P95 increase to workers in the agriculture sector, bringing their daily minimum wage from P315 to P410.

The DOLE said this wage hike “is expected to protect around 214,836 minimum wage earners in private establishments in the region from undue low pay.”

“The increase considered the restoration of the purchasing power of minimum wage earners because of the escalating prices of basic goods, commodities and petroleum products as well as to bring the minimum wage rate above the 2021 first semester poverty threshold,” it added

The same wage board also increased the minimum pay rate of domestic workers in the region by P500, bringing their new monthly salary to P4,500.

This is expected to benefit 160,795 domestic workers – 49,413 live-in and 111,382 live-out.

Labor Regional Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. said the wage orders have been submitted to the National Wages Productivity Commission (NWPC) for review and approval.

Rodriguez said the commission’s review focuses mainly on determining the Board’s compliance with the procedural and substantial requirements.

The DOLE said the wage orders shall take effect “15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.”

Rodriguez expects this to take effect in time for the new administration.

‘Not enough’

But various workers’ organizations stressed yesterday that the wage increases are not enough to meet the rising costs of living in the country.

In separate statements, the groups Sentro, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) noted the additional minimum wage rate in NCR is very small.

“The P33 wage increase is a pittance and woefully inadequate. It is not even enough to allow workers to recover the lost value of their wages,” said Sentro Secretary General Joshua Mata, noting that the real wage eroded by P43 since February.

“Wage erosion worsened since then. After all, the inflation rate in April 2022 in the NCR climbed to 4.4 percent and 5.1 percent outside NCR,” he added.

KMU chairman Elmer Labog said while the salary adjustments are not enough, it still showed that workers have somehow succeeded in their demand for wage hike through dialogue and protest actions.

But TUCP president Raymond Mendoza maintained that “the wage increases are measly” and that “the new minimum wages will still be below poverty thresholds.” – With Gilbert Bayoran