Wage board wraps up consultations in Central Luzon

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has ended its series of public consultations in Central Luzon.

The wage board conducted the consultations in response to a wage increase petition filed by Mardwin Cabais and Analyn Marantal for workers in the region.

The current minimum wage rates in Central Luzon, except Aurora, range from P414 to P460, depending on the number of employees and the sector involved.

In Aurora, the daily minimum wage rates range from P344 to P409.

The consultations started on July 18 in Pampanga and concluded on Aug. 31 in Baler, Aurora.

The hearings were attended by 483 people including 228 from the management and 255 from the labor sector.

Another hearing conducted on Sept. 4 at the Heroes Hall Mini Convention Center in this city was attended by 70 and 79 representatives from the management and labor sectors, respectively.

The DOLE gave assurance that the wage board would take into account the current needs of the workers and their families, the capacity to pay of employers and the socioeconomic condition in the region.

Wage boards are mandated by law to periodically assess wage rates and conduct studies for the determination of minimum wage rates in a particular region, province or industry.