REGIONAL wage boards on Wednesday approved increases in daily minimum wages in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and the SOCCSKSARGEN region, according to the Labor department.
The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of Cagayan Valley approved a P30 increase that would be given in two tranches, bringing the daily minimum wages in the region to P450 for nonagriculture workers and P430 for workers in agriculture establishments, it said in a statement.
Central Luzon’s wage board also approved a P40 increase for nonagriculture, agriculture and retail service establishments.
Workers in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales will have a new daily minimum wage of P493 to P500 for nonagriculture workers, P454 to P470 for agriculture workers and P475 to P489 for retail and service workers.
Those in the province of Aurora will have daily minimum wages of P449 for nonagriculture workers, P422-P434 for agriculture workers and P384 for retail and service workers.
The wage board of SOCCSKSARGEN, which is composed of the provinces of South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City, approved a P35 increase in daily wages, which will also be given in two tranches.
The order will bring the region’s minimum wages to P403 for nonagriculture workers and P382 for those in agriculture and service and retail.
The Cagayan Valley and SOCCSKSARGEN wage boards also approved a P500 increase in the daily wages of domestic workers, which would bring their monthly wage to P5,500 for both regions, except for those who are not in first-class municipalities in SOCCKSARGEN who will get a P4,500 monthly rate.
All wage orders will take effect on October 16, the Labor department said. – John Victor D Ordoñez