THE new wage order raising the daily pay of workers in the private sector in Eastern Visayas will take effect on Dec. 8, 2025, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) announced on Wednesday.
Wage Order No. RBVIII-25, issued on Nov. 10, 2025, grants a P35 daily wage increase for private sector workers. The increase will be implemented in two tranches: P17 starting Dec. 8 and P18 more on June 1 next year.
“The wage increase will take effect 15 days after the publication of the new wage order on Nov. 22, 2025. The RTWPB issued the order motu proprio after reviewing prevailing wage rates, noting that no petition for an increase was filed,” RTWPB chairperson Dax Villaruel, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment, said.
With the adjustment, the daily minimum wage for workers in agriculture, cottage and handicraft, and service/retail establishments with up to 10 workers will climb from P405 to P440.
Workers in non-agriculture and service/retail establishments with more than 10 employees will see their daily wage rise from P435 to P470.
The board cited key socio-economic indicators — such as the regional consumer price index, the 2023 poverty threshold, Gross Regional Domestic Product growth, and the number of micro establishments — as justifications for approving the wage hike.
Meanwhile, the wage board likewise approved Wage Order No. RBVIII-DW-06, raising the monthly minimum wage for kasambahay (domestic workers).
Domestic workers employed in chartered cities and first-class municipalities will now receive P6,400 monthly, reflecting a P400 increase. Those in other municipalities will receive P5,800, representing a P300 increase.
The board warned that any employer who refuses or fails to comply with the mandated wage increases will face penalties under Section 12 of Republic Act 6727 (Wage Rationalization Act), as amended by Republic Act 8188.
The new wage orders were approved on Nov. 10, with board members representing labor, management, and government agencies concurring.
The RTWPB issued the new order after consultations in Ormoc City for the Western Leyte area, Maasin City for Southern Leyte, Naval for Biliran, Calbayog City for Samar, Catarman for Northern Samar, Borongan City for Eastern Samar, and Tacloban City for Leyte. / PNA