THE Metro Manila wage board completed its deliberations and will issue a new wage order next week, following a review by the national wage commission, though it did not say how much wages would be raised.
With the conclusion of hearings, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board for the National Capital Region (RTWPB-NCR) will set a new minimum wage for Metro Manila workers in the private sector, subject to review by the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC).
Asked about the possibility that the NWPC will deny or modify the amount agreed on at the NCR wage board level, RTWPB-NCR workers representative Angelita D. Señorin said in a message to BusinessWorld on Tuesday, “There is no instance in the history of wage orders that the agreed amount was not approved.”
She added: “Let us wait next week after the NWPC review” for the wage order details.
RTWPB-NCR Director Ana C. Dione said last week that the board will decide on Metro Manila wage adjustments as soon as possible.
The RTWPB-NCR issued its last wage order, Wage Order No. NCR-21, on September 20, 2017, which took effect on Oct. 5 last year. The NCR Board approved a P21 wage adjustment for NCR minimum wage earners which brought their daily salary P475-P512.
Wage Order No. NCR-21 reached its anniversary earlier this month. The NCR Wage Board started its consultations regarding wage fixing on Oct. 22 and 24 with the workers and employers, respectively. It held a joint-sector hearing on Oct. 26.
The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) petitioned for a wage hike of P334 and made a counter-offer of P100 during the consultation phase last week. Another labor group, the Association of Minimum Wage Earners and Advocates (AMWEA), sought a P688 wage increase.
Some 13 out of 17 regions in the Philippines have issued new wage orders this year. Depending on the region, private-sector minimum wage earners have been granted an increase of P8.50 to P56. — Gillian M. Cortez

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