GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 21 October) — Daily minimum wage earners in the private sector in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) will receive an increase of ₱30 to ₱33, while domestic workers will get as much as ₱1,500 monthly salary hike, the Department of Labor and Employment -12 (DOLE-12) said. Joel Gonzales, DOLE-12 director and chairperson of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-12, said they decided to increase the minimum wage of private sector workers in two tranches following consultation with different sectors. “The board, in the exercise of its mandate, has duly considered both the needs of the workers and the capacity of the employers to pay in determining the appropriate level of minimum wage,” he said in Wage Order No. RB XII-25 published last Oct. 17. Based on the order, the new minimum wage for workers in the non-agriculture / retail service sector is ₱450 and ₱433 for the agriculture sector effective Nov. 2. The prevailing wages are ₱430 and ₱410 for workers in the non-agriculture / retail services and agriculture sectors, respectively. The increase of ₱10 for the second tranche will take effect on Dec. 15, bringing the daily wage rates to ₱460 for non-agriculture/ retail workers and ₱443 for agriculture workers. Gonzales said the board conducted a motu propio (on its own) review of the prevailing minimum wage rates in the private sector. On the other hand, all domestic workers or kasambahays in the region will have the same salary of ₱6,000 regardless of where they are employed. Wage Order No. RB XII-DW-05, which will take effect on Nov. 2, grants a ₱1,000 hike for kasambahays in cities and first-class municipalities and a ₱1,500 increase for those in other municipalities. Currently, kasambahays in cities and first-class municipalities in the region earn ₱5,000 monthly and ₱4,500 for those in other municipalities. The order applies to house helpers, caregivers, cooks, gardeners, laundry workers, and other household staff, as covered by Republic Act 10361 or the Kasambahay Law. “The wage adjustment is expected to benefit household workers in both urban and rural areas, providing stronger income protection amid rising living costs,” DOLE-12 said in a statement. Public consultations were held in different parts of Region 12 since August before the wage board moved to adjust the wages of minimum earners and kasambahays. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
