THE National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) Monday, March 16, 2026, said another round of wage hikes amid the crisis in the Middle East depends on the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards (RTWPBs).
In a radio interview, NWPC Executive Director Maria Criselda Sy said the RTWPBs are the entities that can declare "supervening conditions."
"The determination on whether there can be a wage increase depends on the monitoring being done by regional wage boards, especially on the impact of the crisis in their regions," said Sy.
"It will depend on the monitoring of regional wage boards because they know the situation on the ground better," said Sy.
Asked if the NWPC asked RTWPBs to review socioeconomic conditions, Sy said it is no longer necessary.
"The regional wage boards are continuously doing the review," said Sy.
The NWPC statement comes as the Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (Sentro) called on lawmakers to fast-track the passage of the 200 pesos across-the-board wage increase bill.
In a statement, Sentro said Congress must grant workers decent pay hikes to help them cope with the rising cost of living.
“As fuel prices surge, everything else follows—transport fares, food prices, electricity bills. But wages remain frozen. Workers are effectively being handed another pay cut,” said Sentro.
"Congress must stop delaying relief. Pass the 200 pesos wage increase now," said Sentro.
Failure to do so will result in a bigger crisis for low-income workers, the labor group said.
"The real crisis today is that wages are far too low to survive the rising cost of living," said Sentro. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)