Bicol workers to get pay hike

MANILA, Philippines — Minimum wage earners and household service workers in Bicol are getting the first tranche of their salary increases on April 3, the National Wages and Productivity Commission announced yesterday.

The NWPC said it had affirmed the wage order issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Bicol.

According to the NWPC, the P40-daily wage increase will be implemented in two tranches – the first on April 3 and the second on Dec. 1.

The increase is expected to benefit 100,414 minimum wage earners in the region.

With this, the daily minimum wage rate in Bicol will be hiked to P435 for all sectors and industries.

The NWPC also approved the P900 to P1,000 pay hike for domestic workers, bringing the monthly minimum wage for kasambahay in the region to P6,000.

Last year, the RTWPB deferred the deliberation for salary hike upon the request of labor representatives to allow economic recovery following the impact of tropical cyclone Kristine.

Aside from workers who directly benefit from the increase, the NWPC said 316,784 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage may indirectly benefit from upward adjustments at the enterprise level.

Retail and service establishments regularly employing 10 workers or less, and enterprises affected by natural calamities or human-induced disasters may apply for exemption from the wage increase.

Registered barangay micro business enterprises are also not covered by the pay hike.