WAGES in Davao Region remain as is, as the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-Davao continues reviewing proposals for its potential increase.
Board members are continuing to deliberate on the issues raised by labor and management representatives during recent discussions. No final decision has been reached, and the board has yet to announce the date of its next hearing.
The public hearing, held on February 13, 2026, at the Grand Regal Hotel, was supervised by the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Wages and Productivity Commission.
Representatives from the labor and management sectors discussed proposed wage adjustments for the private sector employees and domestic workers.
The proceedings were led by Board Chairperson and Dole-Davao Regional Director Randolf C. Pensoy, with Vice-Chairpersons Romeo L. Castañaga and Priscilla R. Sonido. Labor representatives Josefina C. Lim and Virginia T. Camus, along with management representatives Susan P. Cariaga and Roland T. Suico, also participated.
“Everyone has the right to speak. Let the members of your representation, where you belong to a sector, collate all your information, your points, your observations, and your comments, so that it can be used by them to talk, to discuss,” Pensoy said after the labor sector presented its position.
While private sector representatives attended, domestic workers (kasambahays) and their employers were absent. To ensure inclusivity, Castañaga extended the deadline for these groups to submit formal position papers until Feb. 18, 2026.
“These public consultations serve as more than just a procedural formality,” Castañaga said. “They ensure that wage decisions are informed, transparent, and grounded in the actual needs of the community.”
The RTWPB-Davao periodically reviews minimum wages under Republic Act No. 6727, which directs regional boards to align wages with economic conditions and the cost of living.
Under Wage Order No. RB XI-23, effective March 7, 2025, private sector workers received a P29 daily increase, raising the minimum daily wage to P510 for non-agriculture workers and P505 for agriculture workers.
For domestic workers, the monthly minimum wage is P6,000 in chartered cities and first-class municipalities, and P5,000 in other municipalities.
With labor pushing for higher wages and management expressing concerns about potential business impacts, the board continues weighing all considerations before issuing a ruling that will affect thousands of workers across the Davao Region. DEF WITH REPORTS FROM KIMBERLY REPONTE, DNSC INTERN