Cagayan Valley workers' new wage hike effective Feb. 16

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines  – The recently-approved P10 increase in the daily basic pay of private sector minimum wage earners in Cagayan Valley will take effect on Feb. 16, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said the other day.

Said wage increase in their basic pay will be the first for wage earners in the region since the DOLE’s Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board approved a P20 wage increase in 2008. 

“The (new) wage order will take effect on Feb. 16 after it had been approved by the National (Tripartite) Wages (and Productivity) Board (after it met the required) publication (period),” said Grace Ursua, DOLE director for Cagayan Valley.

Earlier, Ursua said the P10 increase for private workers’ daily minimum wage in the region was the result of a series of consultations between the labor sector and management.

Once the new wage order takes effect, the daily minimum wage for workers in Isabela will be from P235 to P245 for non-agricultural workers; from P223 to P233 for agricultural workers; from P227 to P237 for workers in retail services; and from P200 to P210 for those with not more than 10.

Likewise, Cagayan daily minimum wage rates for non-agricultural workers increased from P232 to P242; from P220 to P230 for agricultural workers; from P224 to P234 for retail workers; and from P197 to P207 for retail services employing less than 10.

For Nueva Vizcaya, non-agricultural workers would have their minimum wage increased from P228 to P238 per day; from P216 to P226 for agricultural workers; from P220 to P230 for workers in retail services; and from P193 to P203 for retail services with less than 10 workers.

Batanes and Quirino workers had their daily wage rates increased from the former P227 to P237 for non-agricultural workers; from P215 to P223 for agricultural workers; from P219 to P229 for retail services workers; and from P192 to P202 for retail services with less than 10 employees.