Cagayan Valley workers get P20 wage hike

TUGUEGARAO CITY – Starting June 15, thousands of the region’s private sector workers will receive an additional P20 in their daily minimum wage, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) said yesterday.

Loreta Aquino, RTWPB secretary, said P12 will be added to the basic daily wage, and P8 to the emergency cost of living allowance (E-COLA).

Aquino said the new daily minimum wage rates in the region’s five provinces were categorized into four – non-agricultural, agricultural, retail service with more than 10 employees, and retail service with less than 10 employees. 

The additional P20 increase will mean that workers in Isabela will have a new daily minimum wage of P235 for those in the non-agricultural sector; P223 for those in the agricultural sector; P227 for those in retail firms with more than 10 employees; and P200 for those in firms with not more than 10 workers. 

In Cagayan, non-agricultural workers will get P232; agricultural workers, P220; retail workers in establishments employing more than 10 workers, P224; and those in retail firms with less than 10 employees, P197. 

On the other hand, in Nueva Vizcaya, non-agricultural workers will receive a new daily minimum wage of P228; agricultural workers, P216; those in retail establishments with more than 10 workers, P220; and those in retail establishments with less than 10 workers, P193. 

Workers in Batanes and Quirino have the same daily minimum wage rates of P227 for those in non-agricultural sector; P215 for those in the agricultural sector; P219 for those in retail firms with more than 10 workers; and P192 for those in retail establishments with less than 10 employees.

Regional workers had demanded a P100 across-the-board daily wage hike, citing the continued rise in the cost of fuel and other basic commodities and services.