Amid the continued rise in the prices of goods and services, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Soccsksargen have increased the daily minimum wage by P30, P40 and P35, respectively, effective Oct. 16.
The adjustments were approved by their regional wage boards last Sept. 19 to 21, and affirmed by the National Wages and Productivity Board on Sept. 26.
However, the new minimum wage rates would only take effect on Oct. 16, or 15 days after publication on Sept. 30, according to the Department of Labor and Employment which announced the wage hikes on Wednesday night.
The wage boards in Cagayan Valley and Soccsksargen also raised the minimum monthly wage for domestic workers (or kasambahay) to P5,500 and P5,000, respectively.
At least 682,117 private sector minimum wage earners in the three regions would be entitled to the new wage rate, while 1.5 million other salaried workers may indirectly benefit from 鈥渨age distortion鈥� adjustments.
Meanwhile, around 75,853 domestic workers in Cagayan Valley and Soccsksargen would be entitled to the new wage rate.
Regional rates
The Cagayan Valley wage board said the P30 increase in the daily minimum wage would be given in two tranches of P15 each on Oct. 16 and on April 1 next year.
This would bring the daily minimum wage rate in the region to P450 for nonagricultural establishments and P430 for agricultural establishments.
The Cagayan Valley wage board increased by P500 the minimum wage of domestic helpers, which made the new minimum monthly rate at P5,000.
The Central Luzon wage board granted a P40 increase in the daily minimum wage.
This would bring the daily minimum wage rate for nonagriculture establishments to P449 in Aurora province and P493 to P500 in the rest of the provinces; for agriculture establishments, P422 to P434 in Aurora and P454 to P470 elsewhere; and for retail and service establishments, P384 in Aurora and P475 to P489 in other provinces.
The Soccsksargen wage board approved a P35 minimum wage increase to be given in two tranches: P22 by Oct. 16 and P13 by Jan. 1 next year.
This would bring their regional daily minimum wage rates to P403 for nonagricultural establishments, and P382 for agricultural and service and retail establishments.
The Soccsksargen wage board also approved a P500 increase in the minimum wage of domestic workers to bring the new rate to P5,000 in cities and first-class municipalities, and P4,500 in the rest of the municipalities.
Retail and service establishments that regularly employ 10 or fewer workers, and enterprises affected by disasters may ask to be exempted from the minimum wage rate, while barangay micro business enterprises are not covered by the minimum wage law.
The last wage adjustments in the three regions were made in June last year.
The daily minimum wage was earlier adjusted in Metro Manila by P40 effective July 16; Calabarzon by P35 to P50 effective Sept. 24; and Central Visayas by P33 effective Oct. 1.