MINIMUM wage earners in Northern Mindanao will gain an additional P20 daily beginning Friday, July 14, this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Northern Mindanao said this week.
The region's wage board approved the increase to all minimum wage earners, both in the non-agriculture and the agriculture sector.
This is the first wage increase in Northern Mindanao under the Duterte administration. The last wage increase experienced by workers here was in July 2015, with a P12 daily wage increase.
From the prevailing P318 daily income, non-agriculture workers in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, Tagoloan, Villanueva, and Jasaan will now earn P338 daily, while agricultural workers in the same areas will now earn P326 daily from P306 daily.
Non-agriculture workers in Malaybalay City, Valencia, City, Gingoog City, El Salvador City, Ozamiz City, Opol, Maramag, Quezon, and Manolo Fortich will earn P331 per day, while agricultural workers in the same towns and cities will also earn P319 daily.
For Oroquieta City, Tangub City, Lugait, Laguindingan, and Mambajao, non-agricultural earners will get P323 daily while agricultural workers in the same areas earn P311 daily.
All other areas that are not covered under the categories, including all retail and service establishments employing not more than 10 workers will earn P316 daily for non-agricultural workers and P304 daily for agricultural workers.
Although “thankful” for the new wage order, Nicandro Borja, regional vice president of the Associated Labor Union (ALU)–Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said the increase is still not enough, especially with the increasing prices of basic commodities.
Borja also questioned why the wage order was categorized and separated.
"Of course we are thankful that finally they released a new wage order. But as usual, what they give is not always enough, considering the increase electricity, food, education, tuition, housing, clothing, medicine," he said.
The ALU-TUCP earlier proposed a P168 wage hike during the public hearing on the wage issues of the region.
"We are also wondering why there are categories in wage orders, when in fact, the prices are not categorized, and the hard work of the workers are all equal," he said.
Borja urge employers to comply with the wage order and encourage employees to report to DOLE-Northern Mindanao non-compliant companies.
He said failure or refusal by employers to pay the prescribed adjusted wage is punishable by a fine not exceeding P25,000 and/or imprisonment of not less than one year nor more than two years.