Wage board approves P33 pay hike in Ilocos Region

By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter

THE Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) of Region I (Ilocos Region) approved a P33 minimum daily wage increase.

In a statement on Monday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the new daily minimum wage in the Ilocos Region is now P468 for the non-agriculture sector employing 10 or more employees, and P435 for the non-agriculture sector employing less than ten employees and the agriculture sector.

The board also granted a P500 increase for domestic workers, with the monthly wage rate now starting at P6,000.

The wage orders were approved on Oct. 16, and will take effect on Nov. 7, a day after the anniversary of the last wage order in the region.

“The Regional Board, comprised of representatives from the government, management, and labor sectors, likewise conducted consultations and a public hearing in their region as part of the minimum wage determination process,” DoLE added in the statement.

The new rates are an 8% increase from current daily wage rates and result in a 12% increase in wage-related benefits covering 13^th month pay, service incentive leave, and social security benefits such as Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG).

The move is expected to directly benefit 170,143 minimum wage earners and 349,112 full-time wage and salary workers earning above minimum as a result of the adjustment of wage distortion.

Over 99,000 domestic workers are expected to benefit from the new rates, about 9,000 of them are in live-in arrangements.

Under the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) Rules on Minimum Wage Determination, retail and service establishments with no more than ten regular employees, as well as enterprises impacted by natural calamities or human-induced disasters, may seek exemption from the wage increase by applying to the RTWPB.

The DoLE reminded that registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBEs) are not covered by the minimum wage law under the Republic Act No. 9178 [2002].

The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) welcomed the recent wage adjustments even as it found it the wage increase is “not enough.”

FFW President Jose Sonny G. Matula said in a Viber message that they are still pursuing a legislated wage hike of P150.

“If not legislated by this Congress, we make wage legislation a part of our campaign agenda in the 2025 senatorial elections,” he said.

The FFW also commended Wage Order No. RB 1-DW-05, which set the new monthly wage for domestic workers at P6,000.

“This increase for kasambahay is a much-needed recognition of their hard work and contributions to our households,” said FFW Women Network Vice-President Arta Maines.

“We are pleased to see progress for domestic workers, but we also urge for continued efforts to ensure fair wages across all sectors.”