THE Department of Labor and Employment-Davao Region (Dole-Davao) said that if the proposed P200 wage increase is signed into law, they would follow the new wage order as determined by Congress.
Lawyer Randolf Pensoy, regional director of Dole-Davao, acknowledged that while the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) exists, its powers are defined by law, meaning Congress has the authority to abolish, amend, or repeal them.
“The only thing we could do is to follow the new wage order issued or determined by Congress kung mahitabo [if it will happen],” he said in an interview on the sidelines during the Kapehan sa Dabaw, on Monday morning, June 11, 2025, at SM City Davao.
Pensoy said that if the P200 wage hike is enacted on top of the RTWPB’s recent P29 increase, the region's new minimum wage would be P729.
On March 7, the RTWPB approved a P29 daily wage increase for private sector workers under Wage Order No. RB XI-23. This raised the daily minimum wage to P510 for non-agricultural workers and P505 for those in the agricultural sector.
On June 4, Congress approved House Bill 11376, which proposes a P200 minimum daily wage increase for private sector workers, on the third and final reading. The Senate has also passed its own version, Senate Bill 2534, which proposes a P100 increase.
If enacted, this would mark the first legislated nationwide wage hike since the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. stated on June 5 that he would carefully study the potential economic implications of the proposed P200 wage increase. He said the government would ensure that any decision made balances the welfare of workers with the sustainability of businesses.
Pensoy added that, if signed into law, the possible effects might include “terminations, reductions, or retrenchments, perhaps even closures of employment.”
However, he also said that for the labor sector, the impact would not be as severe and could, in fact, provide additional purchasing power, as it means increased income for workers.
As a member of the RTWPB, Pensoy emphasized his readiness to listen to both sides: labor and management. RGP