Four regions to issue wage orders in October

FOUR REGIONS are expected to issue new wage adjustment orders covering the daily minimum wage for private sector workers next month.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) announced that Northern Mindanao (Region 10), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), and MIMAROPA (Region 4-B which covers Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) are authorized to issue wage orders and are in the process of setting new wage levels.
On the other hand, National Capital Region (NCR) is expected to hit the anniversary of its last wage order on Oct. 5. Labor Undersecretary Ciriaco A. Lagunzad III said the NCR wage board will have a meeting on that date to discuss the timeline for issuing a wage order.
Regional wage boards cannot initiate the wage order review process before the anniversary of their last wage action.
At a news conference on Thursday, Mr. Lagunzad added: “The tentative date of notice of public hearing (for NCR) is Oct. 8 which means once there is a public hearing there can be deliberations immediately right after and if there is a decision it will be published. The (NCR) wage order will be effective 15 days of the time of the decision.”
On Wednesday, Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III said that NCR’s wage adjustment will not be less than P20, according to data given to him by the National Wages and Productivity Board (NWPC).
Northern Mindanao, whose wage order anniversary was July 16, will be the first among the four regions mentioned to issue a wage adjustment.
“They have completed their deliberations and a draft wage order has been transmitted to the secretariat of the central office (NWPC),” Mr. Lagunzad said.
He added, “Once it has been reviewed, you can expect a wage order (from Northern Mindanao) very soon.”
The MIMAROPA board will have its deliberations early next month after completing public consultations. MIMAROPA’s last wage order was issued on Sept. 24, 2017.
Public consultations are ongoing in Cagayan Valley, whose wage order anniversary was Sept. 25. The public hearing for its wage adjustment will be on Oct. 12.
For 2018, 12 regions have issued new wage orders: Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region (Region 1), Central Luzon (Region 3), CALABARZON (Region 4A), Bicol Region (Region 5), Western Visayas (Region 6), Central Visayas (Region 7), Eastern Visayas (Region 8), Zamboanga Peninsula (Region 9), Davao Region (Region 11), SOCCSKSARGEN (Region 12), and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). — G.M.Cortez