Wage boards studying new salary hike

MANILA, Philippines - A new round of wage increase is shaping up as prices of food and other essential commodities are rising steadily.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the different regional tripartite wages and productivity boards (RTWPBs) are reviewing the current wages to determine if there’s a need for adjustment and how much.

“Our RTWPBs continue to monitor the situation on wages and prices so they can be aware of the sources of rising inflation rate and are ready to act,” Baldoz said.

Baldoz said data released by the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed an increasing inflation rate in the past months mainly due to exorbitant rise in prices of basic commodities and services.

According to Baldoz, inflation rate is one of the factors that the RTWPBS are taking into consideration in their discussions of regional economic situations and wage adjustments.

But sources said another round of wage increase might be untimely and difficult to carry out.

“It would be very difficult to grant another wage adjustment, for example in Metro Manila, because the new minimum wage has taken effect just a few months ago and the boards already considered a possible rise in inflation rate in their decision,” an official explained.

Some wage boards, however, have not yet allowed adjustments and the current inflation rate would definitely be considered in ongoing deliberations.

Since May, RTWPBs in National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, Western Visayas, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Northern Mindanao have already granted increases in minimum wage rates.

National Wage and Productivity Commission executive director Ciriaco Lagunzad said four more regions, including Central Visayas and CARAGA are expected to issue wage orders next month.