Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, December 4) — The labor force in Central Visayas is a step closer to getting a pay hike after the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the region issued orders restructuring rates for minimum wage earners and domestic workers according to their respective sectors.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton, chairperson of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in the region, said Wage Order No. ROVII-22 provides the increase of the daily minimum wage rates of all private sector workers and employees in Region-7, while Wage Order No. ROVII-D.W. 02 reflects the increased monthly minimum wage rates for domestic workers in all cities and municipalities.
“Minimum wage earners in the private sector and household workers could now expect a pay hike. But of course, such increase is still subject to the review by the NWPC and must be approved thereafter by the Secretary,” Siaton said.
Siaton said the sectoral classifications under the previous wage order have now been simplified into two categories: the non-agriculture, and agriculture and establishments employing less than ten workers. The previous four geographic classifications of wages have also been reduced to Classes A, B, and C.
A ₱404 wage will be provided to workers in the non-agricultural sector falling under Class A cities and municipalities or the expanded Metro Cebu area (Cities of Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapulapu, Mandaue, Talisay, Naga and the Municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla, and San Fernando). This is equivalent to an P18 increase from the previous P386 daily rate.
Agricultural workers and those working for establishments employing less than ten employees under Class A areas will get ₱394 a day.
A ₱366 salary will be given to workers under Class B or other cities not covered under Class A are Bais, Bayawan, Canlaon, Dumaguete, Guihulngan, and Tanjay in the province of Negros Oriental as well as Bogo and Toledo in the province of Cebu including Tagbilaran in Bohol. Agricultural workers will receive ₱361.
Class C non-agriculture workers, on the other hand, will receive ₱356 per day with a hike ranging from ₱8 to ₱33. Agricultural workers will get ₱351 daily.
“The re-classification of wage structure is in line with the thrust of the Board to rationalize the wage structure in the Region. Of course, we did it after taking into account all the recommendations of stakeholders present during the public hearings and consultations conducted,” Siaton said.
She added that the minimum wage increase in the region was the result of the “periodic and continuous review by the Board of the socio-economic conditions in Central Visayas.”
Meanwhile, the new monthly minimum wage rates for domestic workers employed in the first class cities and municipalities will be set to ₱5,000 monthly from the existing ₱3,000.
Those working in other municipalities would now receive not less than ₱4,000 per month, DOLE said.
