Private workers in Zamboanga get wage hike

Private sectors in the Zamboanga Peninsula are set to receive a P33 wage hike, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced Tuesday.

The National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) on 22 November unanimously affirmed Wage Order No. RBIX-23, increasing the minimum wage for private workers in the region from P381 to P414 in the non-agriculture sector including service and retail establishments employing 10 or more workers.

Meanwhile, a wage hike from P386 to P401 in the agriculture sector including service and retail establishments employing one to nine workers.

The new wage order is slated to take effect on 12 December and is expected to directly benefit 95,990 minimum wage earners in the region.

About 129,697 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.

As of date, 10 wage orders have been issued for private sector workers in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Soccsksargen.

Additionally, four wage orders have been issued for domestic workers in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Western Visayas, and Eastern Visayas. All these wage orders were initiated motu proprio.

For the other remaining regions, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) Cordillera Administrative Region and Mimaropa are in the final stages of their minimum wage determination process.

RTWPBs Davao Region and Caraga began their minimum wage determination process this November, while RTWPB Soccsksargen is scheduled to commence in January 2025.

Meanwhile, RTWPB-Bicol Region has decided to defer the wage determination process in the region due to the destructive impact of Super Typhoon "Kristine" and shall continue to closely monitor and assess the ongoing recovery and conditions in the region within the next three months.