TACLOBAN CITY– Minimum wage workers and kasambahay in Eastern Visayas will get an increase through Wage Order No. RBVIII-25 for private workers and Wage Order No. RBVIII-DW-06 for kasambahay.
After a series of sectoral consultations in August and September and a public hearing on October 27, 2025, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board VIII issued Wage Order No. RBVIII-25 on November 10, 2025 granting a P35 daily minimum wage increase for workers in the private sector.
The wage increase will be implemented in two tranches, P17.00 effective on December 8, 2025 fifteen days after its publication on November 22, 2025 and the P18 second tranche will be effective on June 1, 2026. The increase brings the minimum wage rates to P440 from P405 for minimum wage workers in agriculture, cottage and handicraft, and in service/retail establishment employing one to ten workers. On the other hand, the wage rate for minimum wage workers in non-agriculture and service/retail establishment employing more than ten workers will be P470 from P435.
The new wage order was issued after a motu proprio review of the prevailing minimum wage rates as the Board did not receive a petition for wage increase. Wage Order No. RBVIII-25 cites existing socio-economic conditions that prompted the Board to grant the wage increase such as Consumer Price Index in the region, the 2023 Poverty Threshold, Gross Regional Domestic Product growth rate and the number of micro establishments and other socio-economic conditions of the region.
On the other hand, the new minimum wage rates for kasambahay employed in chartered cities and first class municipalities will be P6,400 after a P400 monthly increase, while the minimum wage rates for those working in other municipalities will be P5,800 after a P300 monthly increase. Wage Order No. RBVIII-DW-06 further provides that the wage increase applies to all domestic workers, whether on a live-in or live-out arrangement.
according to Republic Act No. 6727 otherwise known as the “Wage Rationalization Act”, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board VIII is mandated to determine and fix minimum wage rates applicable in their region, provinces or industries therein and to issue the corresponding wage orders. (PR)
