Workers in 5 regions may get pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — After Central Visayas, minimum wage earners in three Luzon regions and two in Mindanao may soon receive salary increases.

The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPB) in the Bicol region, Central Luzon, the Cordilleras as well as in Davao and Zamboanga peninsula are studying to raise the minimum salary rates in their jurisdictions.

 “The wage orders in these regions have passed the one-year restriction and the RTWPBs may soon issue new ones,” said Criselda Sy, executive director of the  National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello earlier said that he expected several RTWPBs to issue new wage orders by the end of this month or early July.

The wage board in Central Visayas issued a new order last week granting salary increases for workers in the region. The NWPC has yet to affirm the order.

 “We are still waiting for the wage order from Central Visayas as it has yet to be transmitted to us for affirmation prior to implementation,” Sy said.

She said that RTWPBs whose wage orders are yet to pass the one-year restriction are conducting consultations and public hearings to determine if there is a need to declare supervening conditions that will allow them to grant pay hikes.

“So far, no wage boards under the 12-month period have declared any supervening condition,” Sy said.

The  boards are closely monitoring the socio-economic conditions in their jurisdictions before granting salary increases to workers, she added.