7 regions may get wage hike nod

MANILA, Philippines - Seven wage boards nationwide are discussing pending petitions ranging from P50 to P128.60 across-the-board wage increases, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said yesterday.

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the wage boards are conducting consultations and public hearings to resolve the wage hike petitions soon.

Baldoz said the wage boards in Central Visayas and Caraga regions were in the advanced stages of consultations and might issue wage orders soon.

Central Visayas comprises the provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

The Caraga region, on the other hand, comprises the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, and the cities of Butuan, Surigao, Bislig, Cabadbaran and Tanda.

The other wage boards tackling pending petitions are: Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), Western Visayas (Aklan, Antique, Negros Occidental, Capiz, Guimaras and Iloilo), Eastern Visayas (Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Southern Leyte), and Socsargen (South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos City).

The Metro Manila wage board has granted a P22 increase in the daily take home pay of minimum wage earners, bringing their daily take home pay to P404.

But this might be the last time that various wage boards would issue salary increases.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission is now reviewing existing wage-fixing mechanisms.              

Baldoz has ordered the commission to come up with guidelines in implementing a two-tier wage-fixing system.

Under the system, the minimum wage, considered floor wage, is added to performance-based wage increases and bonuses.

“The idea is to determine additional wage increases on top of new wage that will keep body and soul together which will be in the form of incentives, profit sharing, bonuses, etc. and on the basis of productivity and company viability,” Baldoz said.    

Baldoz said the current system discourages foreign investors from hiring Filipino workers. 

“Compared to other countries with similar developments, Filipinos are no longer competitive in terms of wages. Our minimum wage is too high compared to other countries,” Baldoz said.