ILOILO City – More than 193,000 minimum wage earners in Western Visayas will receive an increase starting November 17, the effective date of Wage Order No. RBVI-28 which provides for an updated minimum wage rate in Region 6.
In addition, approximately 300,252 full-time workers and salaried employees earning above the minimum wage may also see indirect benefits. This is expected as companies make upward adjustments to prevent wage distortion within the workforce, data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6 showed.
Meanwhile, under Wage Order RBVI-DW-06, which sets a new minimum wage rate for domestic workers, around 160,795 household helpers or kasambahay are also set to benefit from a wage increase.
The two separate wage orders, approved by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) on October 28, were published on November 1.
Wage Order No. RBVI-28 grants a wage increase of P33 to P40 for private sector employees, while Wage Order No. RBVI-DW-05 provides an additional P1,000 for domestic workers.
The wage hike will be implemented 15 days after publication in a regional newspaper, marking its start on November 17, one day after the previous Wage Order RBVI-27 reaches its one-year mark.
Under Wage Order No. RBVI-28, the new minimum wages in the private sector are as follows:
For Non-agriculture/industrial/ commercial
* employing more than 10 workers –P513 or P33 increase from P480
* employing 10 workers or less –P485 or P35 increase from P450
For Agriculture –P480 or P40 increase from P440
On the other hand, under Wage Order No. RBVI – DW-06 or for domestic workers, the new monthly minimum wage is P6,000 or an increase of P1,000 from P5,000.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) led by DOLE-6 director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr. considered several economic indicators in the decision to increase the minimum wage:
* The region’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 129.5 in September 2024, up from 125.9 in November 2023.
* Inflation averaged 3.76 percent from November 2023 to September 2024.
* The Purchasing Power of the Peso (PPP) stood at P0.77 in September 2024.
* The poverty threshold for a family of five in 2023 was P454, based on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data.
* Western Visayas’ Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) grew by 7.2 percent from 2022 to 2023.
* Labor productivity in the region increased by 5.3 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Before finalizing Wage Order No. RBVI-28, RTWPB conducted public hearings on October 10 in Iloilo City and October 21 in Bacolod City.
The wage increase will apply to all minimum wage earners in the private sector across Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidental, including the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod. Covered employees include all private sector workers, regardless of their job title or wage payment method.
Businesses or entities that fail to comply with the new wage rates will face penalties under Section 12 of Republic Act No. 6727, as amended by Republic Act No. 8188.
Additionally, Wage Order No. RB VI-DW-05 for kasambahays applies to live-in and live-out household helpers, such as general househelp, nannies, cooks, gardeners, and laundry personnel. Excluded from the increase are service providers, family drivers, and individuals who perform occasional, non-occupational work./PN
