North Mindanao workers to get pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners in Northern Mindanao will receive an increase in their daily take-home pay after the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) approved a wage order granting workers additional pay, the Department of Labor and Employment reported yesterday.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello said the salary increase would be given in two tranches. He said workers would receive an additional P25 upon the effectivity of the wage order and P15 to P22 starting Dec. 16.

The previous wage order in private establishments in the region took effect in November 2018, while the pay increase for domestic workers was implemented on Jan. 1, 2020.

After the wage tranches are implemented, Bello said  the new minimum wage rates in the cities of Cagayan de Oro, El Salvador, Iligan, Gingoog, Malaybalay, Ozamiz and Valencia as well as in the municipalities of Jasaan, Lugait, Manolo Fortich, Maramag, Opol, Quezon, Tagoloan and Villanueva would become P405 and P393 for the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively.

Meanwhile, the new minimum wage in the cities of Oroquieta and Tangub as well as in the towns of Balingasag, Laguindingan, Mambajao and all other areas including retail and service establishments employing not more than 10 workers will be P390 and P378 for the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively.

The wage board also granted a P500 monthly salary increase for domestic workers, setting their new monthly minimum wage at P4,500 for cities and first-class municipalities, and P3,500 for other municipalities.

Bello said the new wage order would benefit around 152,924 workers in private establishments and 54,851 domestic workers.

The new wage order will be submitted to the National Wages and Productivity Commission for review.

Once approved, the order will be published in a newspaper of general circulation and will take effect 15 days after publication.