WAGE CONSULTATION. A public consultation on possible wage increase held in Calbayog City, Samar in this undated photo. Private sector workers can expect a pay hike before the end of the year with the ongoing consultation of the region’s current wage rate, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment said. (Photo courtesy of Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board)
TACLOBAN CITY – Private sector workers can expect a pay hike before the end of the year with the ongoing consultation of the region’s current wage rate, an official of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said Thursday.
DOLE regional mediator-arbiter, lawyer Cecilio Baleña, said price adjustments prompted the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) to conduct consultations in different areas of the region.
Public consultations have been held in Ormoc City for the northwest Leyte area and Catbalogan City for the Samar province. The same activities are scheduled in Maasin City for Southern Leyte, Catarman for Northern Samar, Borongan City for Eastern Samar, and Tacloban City for central Leyte.
After these consultations, the wage board will have deliberations looking into the socio-economic indicators in the region. The board takes into cognizant the Gross Regional Development Product, inflation rate, and poverty threshold, among others.
They will come up with a decision before the end of the year.
“The wage board has been reviewing weekly the economic indicators due to the impact of oil price hikes and price adjustments of basic commodities,” Baleña told reporters.
The current minimum daily pay in the region is PHP405 under Wage Order No. 23 issued on Nov. 6, 2023.
The regional board in Eastern Visayas chaired by the DOLE regional director, is a tripartite body composed of six members: three representatives from the government, two from the workers' sector, and one from the employers' sector. (PNA)
