THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Tuesday, July 17, announced that minimum wage earners in Central Luzon will receive a P20 increase effective August 1.
Under Wage Order No. RBIII-21, the minimum wage will increase to P400 a day from the current P380.
Covered by the adjustment are workers in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
The latest wage order will take effect on August 1, or 15 days after publication in SunStar Pampanga.
“We are happy to inform our workers all over the region that a new minimum wage is taking effect this August,” said Zenaida Angara-Campita, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional director and chairperson of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Central Luzon.
“This means that the additional daily wage increase will enable them to provide more take home pay for their families,” she added.
Aurora province’s daily minimum wage increase will be given in two tranches — a P10 increase on August 1 and another P10 increase six months later.
This would bring the daily minimum wage in Aurora to P339 on August 1 and P349 after six months.
Campita noted that the adjustments only pertain to non-agricultural establishments with an employment size of 10 or more workers.
“The new regional minimum wage will vary across industries as indicated on the matrix specified in the order and its implementing rules. Non-agricultural firms’ rate will vary based on those employing 10 or more workers and those with less than 10 workers. Meanwhile, minimum wages will also vary for plantation and non-plantation agri-based firms, likewise with retail or service firms with 16 or more workers and those with less than 16 workers,” Campita said.
The new wage order is a result of the regional wage board’s consultations with labor and management representatives from different industries in most parts of the region, added Campita.
“After the wage board’s careful review of the prevailing socio-economic conditions of the entire region, together with the results of our public consultations across sectors, the Board acknowledged the need to help workers cope up with the rising cost of living brought by the Train Law implementation and fuel hikes by providing them with relief without impairing the viability of businesses and industries, taking into account the need for investment, competitiveness of the region, and job creation and preservation,” Campita said.
“The regional wage board deemed it best to increase the minimum wage at reasonable and equitable levels in light of the regional poverty threshold level vis-à-vis, average wage, along with the need to promote performance-based incentive schemes under the two-tier wage system,” she added.
The wage board, which spearheaded the consultations, is composed of the DOLE as chair while the regional directors of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) sit as co-vice chairpersons.
The wage board also has members represented by labor and management sector.
The DOLE, Neda, DTI and other concerned agencies presented the socio-economic scenario of the region to attending stakeholders from various industries during the consultations.
Campita noted that the new minimum wage shall apply to workers receiving the minimum wage in the region regardless of their position, employment status, and how their wages are paid.
Wage Order No. RBIII-21 takes precedence over Wage Order No. RBIII-20, which effected in May 1, 2017. (JTD)