More than 300,000 workers in Central Visayas will see their daily minimum wage increase by P42 beginning October 13, following the approval of a new wage order for the region.
The adjustment was announced by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino after the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) met in Cebu City on September 26.
Expanded Metro Cebu wage to reach P582
Under the new rates, non-agricultural workers in Class A areas will receive a minimum daily wage of P582, up from P540.
Workers in Class B areas, meanwhile, will have their minimum daily wage raised to P542 from P500.
The Class A category covers the expanded Metro Cebu area, including Carcar, Cebu, Danao, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Talisay cities, along with the municipalities of Compostela, Consolacion, Cordova, Liloan, Minglanilla, and San Fernando.
Class B includes areas outside the expanded Metro Cebu classification and the province of Bohol.
Wage review followed petitions, consultations
The new wage rates came after wage petitions were filed on April 6, prompting consultations with workers, employers, and other stakeholders across the region.
Hearings were held in several areas, including Cebu City, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete, and Balamban, covering Cebu, Bohol, and Negros Oriental.
Tolentino said the wage board considered several possible adjustments during the deliberations, including an increase of as much as P100, before settling on the approved P42 hike.
Labor groups question sufficiency of increase
While the wage adjustment will raise workers' take-home pay, labor groups said it remains inadequate amid rising household expenses.
Jaime Paglinawan, chairperson of Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo-Kilusang Mayo Uno (AMA Sugbo-KMU), said the new rates still fall short of what workers need to meet their everyday needs.
The group noted that workers' purchasing power has declined over the years, pointing out that P133.90 is now needed to buy goods worth P100 in 2018.
AMA Sugbo-KMU also cited the cost of basic utilities in Central Visayas, including electricity at P14.96 per kilowatt-hour and water at P259.16 per month for the first 10 cubic meters, as among the expenses putting additional pressure on workers' budgets.
