Bicol regional minimum wage set at P480 per day

THE WAGE BOARD of the Bicol Region has approved an increase for private sector workers in the region to bring the daily minimum wage to P480 from P435.

Wage Order No. RBV-23, published on March 23 by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board V, ordered a daily basic wage increase of P45 to be released in two tranches.

The first tranche is a P20 increase, raising the daily rate to P455 upon effectivity on April 8. A second tranche of P25 will take effect on Dec. 1, bringing the minimum wage to P480 for all types of private-sector industries and businesses.

This adjustment covers workers in Albay, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Masbate, and Sorsogon.

In determining the new rates, the wage board said it conducted a series of consultations and public hearings across Bicol in January and February to evaluate regional socio-economic conditions.

The board found that the average inflation rate within the region was 1.5% between April 2025 and January 2026, while the regional real minimum wage was recorded at P318 as of January.

It added that the 2023 poverty threshold for a family of five in the region was P460 as of early 2026, and that Bicol’s gross regional domestic product grew 4.9% during the 2023-2024 period. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking