P35 wage hike okayed in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY — The Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board in Eastern Visayas has approved a P35 increase in the wages of minimum wage earners in the private sector, along with a P300-P400 hike in the monthly salaries of domestic workers.

Under the wage order approved on 10 November, the P35 salary increase for private-sector workers will be implemented in two tranches: P17 effective 8 December and P18 on 1 June 2026.

The board said the wage adjustment was made motu proprio — without any formal petition from the labor sector — taking into account the region’s current socio-economic conditions. Factors considered include the average inflation rate since the last wage order, the 2023 poverty threshold in Eastern Visayas, the 6.2 percent economic growth rate from 2023 to 2024, and the fact that 93.5 percent of business establishments in the region are classified as micro enterprises.

With the new wage order:

Retail and service establishments with more than 10 employees will see the minimum daily wage rise from P435 to P452 starting 8 December, and to P470 on 1 June 2026.