MANILA, Philippines – The National Wages and Productivity Commission affirmed on Thursday, December 5, the new wage orders issued by the regional wage boards in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Mimaropa, granting increases to minimum wage earners ranging from P35 to P40 a day.
From P430, the new minimum wage in CAR is now P470 daily across all provinces in the region.
The provinces in CAR in northern Philippines are: Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, and Apayao. Mimaropa, in southern part of Luzon, comprises the provinces of Mindoro (Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro), Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan.
Domestic workers in CAR were also granted a P1,100 increase, raising the monthly minimum wage for these types of workers from P4,900 to P6,000.
The wage orders will be published on December 8, and will take effect 15 days later, or on December 24.
In Mimaropa, workers in all establishments get a P35-increase. For establishments with 10 workers and above, the minimum wage increased from P395 to P430, and for establishments with less than 10 workers, the minimum increased from P369 to P404.
Domestic workers in Mimaropa also get a P1,000-increase in their monthly minimum wage. From P5,500, the new minimum wage rate is P6,500.
The Mimaropa wage orders will take effect on December 22.
The wage orders are expected to directly benefit at least 74,961 minimum wage earners in the two regions. Over 252,000 full-time wage and salary workers may also indirectly benefit due to upward adjustments.
As the year comes to a close, proposals for an across-the-board minimum wage increase remain pending in Congress. The proposals range from P100 to P750, with the P100 version approved by the Senate. – Rappler.com