Central, Western Visayas workers to get wage hike

MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners in Central and Western Visayas will get a salary increase.

The regional wage board in Central Visayas approved on Monday a daily wage hike of P20 for workers in Class A cities and towns, P15 in Classes B, C and D and P10 in companies with less than 10 workers, Jose Tomongha, regional wage board labor representative, said.

Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Naga and Talisay cities as well as the towns of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla and San Fernando or the expanded Metro Cebu are classified as Class A.

The cities of Toledo, Bogo and the rest of the towns in Cebu, except Bantayan and Camotes islands fall under Class B; all areas in Bohol and Negros Oriental, Class C; and Siquijor, Bantayan and Camotes islands, Class D.

“We will submit it to the National Wage and Productivity Commission for approval. Once they approved it... we will publish it in a newspaper of general circulation... The new wage order will take effect 15 days after publication,” Alvin Villamor, chairman of the Central Visayas wage board, said.

The Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines had petitioned for a daily wage hike of P120 for all private workers in Central Visayas. The Cebu Labor Coalition, NLM-Katipunan, Metaphil Workers Union and UnionBank Employees Association asked for an increase of P155.

P41.50 to P13.50 increase 

In Western Visayas, the monthly minimum wage of workers in non-agricultural, commercial and industrial establishments employing more than 10 workers will increase to P365.

The regional wage board approved a daily wage increase of P26.50 and cost of living allowance (COLA) of P15.

Workers in non-agricultural, commercial and industrial establishments with less than 10 workers will get an additional daily wage of P18.50 and COLA of P5, raising their salaries to P295.

DOLE-Western Visayas director Jason Cañete said the monthly salary of plantation workers  amounting to P281.50 would increase by P13.50 and non-plantation workers by P23.50, from P271.

The Philippine Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Workers Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines asked for an increase of P130 to P150.

Regional wage board labor representative Wennie Sancho said they agreed with the decision of the wage board, noting that it is ”the best we could do under the present circumstances.”

Sancho said the wage hike would give “immediate relief” amid the increase in prices of basic commodities with the implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN law.

Western Visayas covers Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

Higher salary

Meanwhile, Rep. Michael Romero of 1-Pacman party-list said minimum wage workers should get a bigger salary increase.

“The closer the minimum wage hike is to P31, the better because it would offset in significant part the lost purchasing power of the peso since January 2017,” Romero said.

“It is economically justified considering the GDP (gross domestic product) growth rates of 7.2 percent, 6.5 percent, and 6.8 percent in the last three quarters. It is but fair to let the labor force earn some gains from our country’s good GDP results,” he said.

Romero said almost all regions experienced economic expansion last year.

“The Cordillera Administrative Region grew the fastest at 12.1 percent. The Davao area had 10.9 percent while Central Luzon posted 9.3 percent. Metro Manila grew by 6.1 percent. The other regions expanded faster than 6.1 percent,” Romero said. 

He said the economic growth in the regions should be considered in approving a salary hike for minimum wage earners. – Gilbert Bayoran, Jess Diaz