Zamboanga region P33 wage hike decision approved by NWPC

THE Zamboanga Peninsula regional wage board’s P33 minimum wage increase, which will take effect on Dec. 12, has been approved, the Labor department said.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) approved Wage Order No. RBIX-23 covering the Zamboanga Peninsula, or Region IX.

This brings the minimum wage to P414 from P381 in the non-agriculture sector, and to P401 from P368 for the agriculture sector.

It is expected to directly benefit 95,990 minimum-wage earners and about 129,607 full-time wage earners and salaried workers earning more than the minimum wage as employers adjust pay brackets to avoid wage distortions, the department said.

“The NWPC found that Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) IX complied with the criteria for determining a wage increase under Republic Act No. 6727, which include the needs of workers and their families, capacity of employers/industry to pay, and the requirements of economic and social development in the region,” the DoLE said in the statement.

The NWPC also instructed the regional board to conduct information drives to ensure compliance and assist companies in correcting possible wage distortions.

The DoLE said that under the NWPC Omnibus Rules on Minimum Wage Determination, firms regularly employing not more than 10 workers and enterprises affected by natural calamities or human-induced disasters may apply to the regional board to be exempt from the wage hike.

Registered Barangay Micro Business Enterprises are not covered by the minimum wage law under Republic Act No. 9178, it added.

Ten wage orders have been issued for private-sector workers in the National Capital Region, Ilocos Region (Region I), Cagayan Valley (II), Central Luzon (III), Calabarzon (IV-A), the Western Visayas (VI), the Central Visayas (VII), the Eastern Visayas (VIII), IX and Soccsksargen (XII). Four wage orders have been approved for domestic workers in Regions I, II, VI and VII.

The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Mimaropa (IV-B) are in the final stages of the minimum-wage determination process, the DoLE said. Northern Mindanao (X) and Caraga (XIII) began their deliberations this month.

The Davao Region (XI) is scheduled to commence with its minimum-wage determination process in January.

The Bicol Region (V) has opted to postpone the wage-determination process in the region due to the damage caused by Super Typhoon Kristine.

The region’s recovery and prevailing conditions will be monitored over the next three months, DoLE said.

“The P33 increase is a step in the right direction, as all increases are welcome, but it falls short of addressing the real needs of workers, particularly in the provinces where the cost of living continues to climb,” Federation of Free Workers (FFW) President Jose G. Matula told BusinessWorld via Viber.

He urged the government to review its 35-year-old regional wage-setting scheme, calling it discriminatory against workers in the provinces.

“The current system creates stark wage disparities, with provincial workers earning significantly less than their counterparts in urban centers, despite facing similar economic challenges,” he added.

“The regional wage-setting scheme… perpetuates inequality and makes it harder for workers in the provinces to make ends meet. It’s time for a unified national wage policy that guarantees fairness and equity,” he added.

“We welcome this wage increase in Zamboanga Peninsula, but the fight for a just, equitable, and sufficient wage system continues. FFW remains steadfast in its mission to achieve a living wage for every Filipino worker.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana