FOUR public hearings will be conducted in the Cordillera Administrative Region to tackle possible minimum wage increase in the different provinces and two cities in the region, spearheaded by the Regional Tripartite Wagers and Productivity Board (RTWPB-Car).
In a release, Department of Labor and Employment Cordillera (DOLE-Car) Director Ezequiel Ronnie De Guzman stated the first public hearing was held September 6 in Bangued, Abra followed by Tabuk City in Kalinga and Apayao Province, the third will be done September 11 in Lagawe, Ifugao for the provinces of Ifugao and Mountain Province, while the last run will be in Baguio City covering Benguet and Baguio.
The last increase for minimum wage earners in the region was done last year.
RTWPB–CAR Board Secretary Augusto Aquillo, in a recent kapihan with media in May this year shared Wage Order No. CAR–DW–03 prescribing new (monthly) minimum wage rates for domestic workers in the region which took effect on Labor Day, May 1st.
For cities and 1st class municipalities in the region, the minimum monthly pay for domestic worker will be P4, 000 which is P1, 000 higher compared to the previous minimum wage.
For the other municipalities in Cordillera, the minimum monthly pay of household workers will be P3,000 which is P500 higher than the current rate.
The wage order will apply to all domestic workers such as general househelp, yaya, cook, gardener, laundry person or any person who regularly performs domestic work in one household on an occupational basis, whether on a live-in or live-out arrangement.
Not covered by the wage order are service providers, family drivers, children under foster family arrangement and any other person who performs work occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis.
Employers found to violate the order will be fined not less P10,000 but not more than P40,000.