TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in Region 8 has released a new wage order for Eastern Visayas effective June 25, 2018.
Wage Order No. RB VIII-20 entitled “Prescribing a New Minimum Wage Rates for Eastern Visayas” specified reclassification of the industries and sectors as well as increases in basic wage and the integration of the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) to the new basic wage.
Under Section 2 of the new wage order, there shall be an increase in the basic wage, as follows: P20 per day for non-agriculture; P30 per day for retail/service employing 11 up to 30 workers (now merged to non-agriculture); P22 per day for cottage/handicraft; P30 per day for retail/service employing 10 workers and below; P24 per day for non-sugar farm agriculture (now collapsed under agriculture); and P30 per day for sugar farm agriculture (now collapsed under agriculture).
With above increases made, new minimum wage rates are as follows: P305 for non-agriculture including retail/service employing 11 up to 30 workers; P275 for cottage/handicraft; P275 for retail/service employing 10 workers and below; and P275 for agriculture.
Section 3 of the new wage order emphasized that the said wage increase prescribed shall be for the normal working hours, which shall not exceed eight (8) hours a day.
RTWPB VIII Board Secretary Reynaldo Soliveres said that the issuance of the new wage order was a result of different sectoral wage consultations conducted by the Board in Catarman, Northern Samar on March 14, 2018; Catbalogan, Samar on March 15, 2018; Borongan, Eastern Samar on March 16, 2018; Ormoc City on March 21, 2018 and Maasin City on March 22, 2018.
“The series of consultations and public hearing conducted in the region revealed that there is really a need to increase our minimum wage. Of course, we also took into consideration the viability of businesses in the region”, said Board Secretary Soliveres.
Wage Order No. RB VIII-20 was approved last May 7, 2018 by Orlando C. Uy (employers’ representative), Miguel T. Tezon and Efren M. Gabriola (workers’ representatives), NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio G. Uy (vice chair), DTI Regional Director Cynthia R. Nierras (vice chair) and DOLE Regional Director Cyril L. Ticao (chairman). (PR)
