ILOILO City – Wage Order No. 24 that increases the daily minimum wage in Western Visayas may take effect next month or August.
But according to Atty. Ma. Ailyne Valaquio, secretary of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB), the implementation of the order would further be delayed in Boracay Island, in the province of Aklan, and those covered by the region’s sugar industry.
“The Board understands the challenges in Boracay. The new wage order would take effect there three months after the island reopens,” said Valaquio.
Boracay was closed on April 26 for six months of rehabilitation. But according Environment secretary Roy Cimatu recently, the cleanup could be stretched further so the island’s reopening date remains uncertain.
As for Aklan, Valaquio said the province is also affected by Boracay’s closure thus the wage order would be enforced there on Nov. 23 yet.
The wage board has decided, too, to delay the new wage order’s effectivity in the region’s sugar industry.
Valaquio said the new minimum wage would be implemented six months from the date of the wage order’s issuance, timed with the start of the milling season.
The RTWPB announced having decided to increase the daily minimum wage in Western Visayas on June 11. It then forward the decision to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) for final review.
Should the NWPC issue its approval, the RTWPB would them publish the wage order. The new minimum wage would take effect 15 days after the publication.
Under Wage Order No. 24, the new daily minimum wage in non-agricultural, industrial and commercial establishments employing more than 10 workers is P365 – higher than the P323.50 minimum daily wage under the previous Wage Order No. 23.
On the other hand, non-agricultural, industrial and commercial establishments that employ less than 10 people will have a daily minimum wage of P295 – higher than the prevailing P271.50.
In the agriculture sector, the minimum daily wage is P295 (both for plantation and non-plantation workers).
At present, plantation and non-plantation workers have P281.50 and P271.50 daily minimum wages, respectively./PN
