THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said on Wednesday that the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Region IV-B (Mimaropa: Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) approved a P40 daily minimum wage increase, which will take effect on Dec. 7.
The department said the pay hike will benefit 46,861 minimum wage earners across all sectors in the region. The daily minimum wage for employees in establishments with at least 10 workers will rise to P395 from P355. While daily pay for workers in establishments with less than 10 workers will increase to P369 from P329.
“About 113,324 full-time wage and salary workers earning above the minimum wage may also indirectly benefit as a result of upward adjustments at the enterprise level arising from the correction of wage distortion,” the DoLE said.
The board also ordered the increase in monthly minimum wage of domestic workers in the region by P1,000. This will increase the monthly pay rate to P5,500 from P4,500 of 28,269 domestic workers in the region, where 21% are on live-in arrangements.
The department said the new rates for workers in the private sector will translate to an 11%-12% increase from the current daily minimum wage rates in the region. It added that this will result in a 23% increase in wage-related benefits covering 13th month pay, service incentive leave (SIL), and social security benefits under the Social Security System, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG.
The DoLE aid retail or service establishments regularly employing not more than 10 workers, and enterprises affected by calamities may apply to the board to be exempt from the wage order. — Jomel R. Paguian
