For Western Visayas wage hike consultation starts

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Region 6 started on Monday its consultation on the proposed salary increase for the workers in Western Visayas.

Regional Director Ponciano Ligutom of the Department of Labor and Employment-Region 6 said a series of consultations will be held around the region on the petition filed only by the New Independent Workers' Organization.

Ligutom said that the wage board received from the NIWO a petition seeking for an P85 increase in wage for workers in the agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors, P75 for agricultural plantation workers and P72 for non-plantation workers.

Ligutom said the public hearing for wage petition is set on February 20 next year in the province, and that the board will come up with a decision before May 1.

Ro-Ann Bacal, regional director of the National Economic and Development Authority, for her part, said the agency will listen to the representatives of the board to know the pulse from both the labor and management sector to be able to decide whether or not to grant the petition for salary hike.

She said the board is mandated to decide 45 days after the last public hearing.

Wennie Sancho, labor representative of the RTWPB, said the petition aims to recover the purchasing power of the workers, and for the rate of wages in Western Visayas to be at par with the normal wage level.

He pointed out that the salary rates in Western Visayas is now at P245 to P255 per day for non-agricultural workers and P255 per day for agricultural workers.

Sancho assailed the recent wage order, which set a P10 salary increase per day for workers.