Metro Manila workers may get P20 pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — Workers in Metro Manila may receive a P20 increase in their daily take home pay next month, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in the National Capital Region is expected to come up with a new wage order by October.

“The wage adjustment will probably be not less than P20,” Bello told reporters.

He said the board would have to consider various factors in determining the pay hike.

According to Bello, the RTWPB will have to determine the amount that will satisfy the workers’ needs, but this should not trigger inflation and high operational costs that could lead to closure of business establishments.

He also said the DOLE is not mandated to decide on the workers’ demand for an across-the-board wage increase and setting of a national minimum wage rate.

“It is up for Congress to decide,” he said.

Labor groups sought a wage increase to help them cope with higher prices of rice and other basic commodities.