MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/14 August) – Workers should expect their minimum daily wage to increase by at least P12 starting August 16, 2010, at least according to the latest wage order issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board of Region 10.
The RTWPB signed Wage Order (WO) No. RX-15 on July 26, according to board member Jay Albarece, who chairs the Bukidnon provincial board committee on labor and manpower development.
The adjustments, based on a report sent by Philippine Information Agency 10 to MindaNews, include the P12 daily cost of living allowance granted under WO#RX-14 to the daily minimum wage of workers in the region effective Aug. 16.
By October 1, at least P13 should be added to the daily wages, according to the wage order.
Albarece, a labor lawyer and regional official of the Associated Labor Union-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (ALU-TUCP) told MindaNews that workers welcomed the increase.
“But the TUCP was not satisfied,” he added.
ALU-TUCP filed a petition dated March 4, 2010 asking for a P75 per day across the board increase in wages.
Albarece said the labor federation has not yet decided if it would appeal the latest wage order.
Lawyer Alan M. Macaraya, Regional Director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and RTWPB-10 chairperson said, as quoted in the PIA report, the board took into account the socio-economic situation prevailing in the region and the need to adjust the wages of workers.
He cited consultations they held with both the labor and the management sectors “to be fair.”
With the P12 hike, minimum wage in category 1 areas, including the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan and the towns of Tagoloan, Villanueva and Jasaan in Misamis Oriental, will be P256 per day for the non-agriculture sector and P244 per day for the agriculture sector.
For category II areas including the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia in Bukidnon, Gingoog and El Salvador in Misamis Oriental and the towns of Maramag, Quezon and Manolo Fortich, the minimum wage will be P251 per day for the non-agriculture sector and P239 per day for the
agriculture sector in those areas.
For category III areas including the cities of Oroquieta and Tangub in Misamis Occidental, the towns of Lugait and Opol in Misamis Oriental and Mambajao in Camiguin the minimum wage rate in the non-agriculture sector will be P246 per day while the agriculture sector will start
earning P234 per day.
For areas not covered in the first three categories, the minimum wage rates will be P241 per day for the non-agriculture sector and P229 per day for the agriculture sector. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)